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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Government wants to ease relations with Pristina

Belgrade, 2 October 2012

Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Suzana Grubjesic said that Serbia must avoid the “Kosovo or the EU” dilemma at all costs and that the main goal of the government is not to be faced with such a choice, because it can neither give up on its EU path nor a portion of its territory.

Author: novosti.rs

In an interview for today’s issue of Vecernje Novosti daily, Grubjesic said that the Serbian government must simultaneously deal with the EU integration process and the issue of Kosovo-Metohija because this is the main political condition.

The goal is to ease our relations with Pristina, but, in doing so, to make sure we do not recognise its unilaterally declared independence either directly or indirectly. There can be no recognition of Kosovo and no chair for the province in the UN. This is the line we cannot cross, she observed.

She stressed that she expects the European Commission to recommend a date for launching the talks on 10 October, adding that she hopes that the Commission’s report on Serbia’s progress will be impartial and present an outline of the situation in all remits over the past year.

The European Commission will welcome the Serbian government’s new efforts concerning the EU path, along with the fact that Serbia has resumed its course towards the EU and made two important steps in its relations with Pristina. The report will also list other positive steps in fighting corruption and the fiscal consolidation program.

Grubjesic added that the government’s short-term goal is to acquire the date for starting the talks with the EU.

That is when the process becomes irreversible. We should not be concerned about the very date of EU accession, because no one can say for certain what the EU will look like in eight or ten years, Grubjesic remarked.

She added that it is the new government’s obligation to resume the process of normalising the relations with Pristina, to implement previously reached agreements with Pristina and to continue the dialogue.

Asked when the state will adopt the platform for a state strategy for Kosovo-Metohija, she replied that after the speech of President Tomislav Nikolic in the UN, the outlines of the future policy were devised and in the upcoming days this policy should be defined so that it can be then presented to the European partners and Pristina representatives.