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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Solution to Kosovo issue in new talks

Belgrade, 1 May 2010

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic said that Serbia’s presence at the European Union–Western Balkans Summit in Sarajevo signifies a continuous policy on behalf of the authorities in Belgrade who remain determined that representatives of the provisional institutions in Kosovo-Metohija cannot be represented in the same manner as states.

In an interview for the May Day edition of the Vecernje Novosti daily, Jeremic said it would be good to hear the voice of everyone in the region at the Sarajevo Summit, which is why Serbia is looking for a solution that would not question Resolution 1244 and the principled stance not to recognise the unilaterally declared independence of the province.

This is why Unmik has to be present at the Summit, to clearly distinguish between state delegations and others, the Minister stressed.

Jeremic said that the "excessive and brutal" act against the non-ethnic Albanian population in the province, ie the dismantling of Serbian mobile operators' relay towers, is a reprisal of the provisional authorities in Pristina provoked by their failure to become a member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and be granted a country code different to that of Serbia.

Recalling that the Pristina authorities tried to gain membership of the ITU on several occasions, he stressed that every time their demands hit a wall which Serbia built with the help of friends from all over the world.

The Minister also noted that international representatives were "taken aback" at the telephone blockade in the province, which should not have happened.

Jeremic stressed that Serbia is making progress towards EU membership and at the same time, despite everyone's expectations and all the pressure, it managed to stop a new wave of Kosovo independence recognitions and prevent Pristina from becoming a member of international organisations.

I believe that we will succeed in finding a compromise solution to the province in the near future, the Minister said adding that he expects the International Court of Justice to declare that the unilateral declaration of independence was not in line with international law.

When this advisory opinion is presented to the UN General Assembly, I expect that the Assembly will adopt it and call upon peaceful talks to find a solution for Kosovo-Metohija, acceptable to all parties involved, Jeremic concluded.