Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Kostunica and Petersen on dialogue of decentralisation in Kosovo

Belgrade, 3 November 2004

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica met with UNMIK Chief Soren Jessen Petersen today. In a very open conversation, which was also attended by Head of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Nebojsa Covic, most attention was paid to a continuation of a dialogue on decentralisation of power in the province, which would provide guarantees for the survival, safety, and return of Serbs.

The basis for the continuation of the dialogue is the Plan of the Serbian government and UNMIK’s framework plan for local self-government, and the prime minister and the Head of the Coordinating Centre stressed that Belgrade must take part in the continuation of this process on an equal footing. This request, according to them, stems from UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the results of parliamentary elections in Kosovo-Metohija, in which Serbs refused to take part.

Soren Jessen Petersen agreed that the working group on decentralisation must be expanded. He gave assurances that top priority standards in the fields of security, the rule of law, and decentralisation will be assessed seriously before opening talks on Kosovo-Metohija’s final status.

Also as part of the meeting, the officials considered other current issues such as the protection of Serb monuments of culture and cooperation in a series of technical issues. They agreed that the form of cooperation defined in a joint document of official Belgrade and UNMIK, signed in November 2001, should be used.