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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia very close to obtaining favourable feasibility study

Belgrade, 28 February 2005

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said yesterday that Serbia is very close to obtaining a favourable feasibility study, which is expected in late March.

Vojislav Kostunica

Speaking in an interview to the Fonet news agency, Kostunica said that the present government’s work will be most objectively judged not by itself or the public, but by Europe on the basis of the feasibility study. Kostunica explained that the study summarises the progress and achievements in Serbia over the past year.

Kostunica went on to say that the two most important accomplishments of the government on its path towards a favourable feasibility study have been political and economic changes brought on through the adoption of a large number of systemic laws verified by the European Union or Council of Europe, and the level of cooperation achieved with the Hague tribunal, which, according to Kostunica, is becoming a question receiving major focus. Kostunica pointed out that the model established by the government, which is characterised by voluntary surrender and two-way cooperation, is starting to show results.

Kostunica asserted that the image of Serbia throughout the world, as concerns EU accession and The Hague, has changed completely, thus satisfying an important requirement for obtaining a favourable feasibility study.

Speaking to the claims that the government is causing delay to cooperation with The Hague, Kostunica said that voluntary surrenders, which will continue, need time for preparatory activities, including finding the indictees, meeting with them and explaining to the public what this cooperation means in a broader sense.

In light of recent circumstances, Kostunica expects that The Hague’s attitude towards Belgrade will improve and they will accept state guarantees for pre-trial releases of a number of indictees.

As regards recent proposals of Montenegro to transform the state union into a union of independent states, Kostunica confirmed his negative attitude towards such proposals and pointed out that the stance of the Serbian government will not change. The respect for the Constitutional Charter and the Belgrade Agreement cannot be brought into question, he specified and recalled that some time ago Podgorica proposed that elections for the Serbia-Montenegrin parliament be postponed and that a referendum on the status be called first, but now it wants to avoid the referendum as well.

“I feel that Podgorica authorities first wanted to avoid elections because they were sure of the positive outcome of the referendum, but the way in which they see an agreement on the transformation of Serbia-Montenegro into a union of independent states clearly shows that Podgorica not only shuns the elections, but a referendum as well”, Kostunica said.

Kostunica sees a solution for the situation in the state union within the frameworks of the Constitutional Charter, on which the feasibility study can have a positive impact.

By constantly violating the provisions of the Constitutional Charter, the Montenegrin authorities try to create an emergency situation that would lead to a spontaneous dissolution of the state. In Serbia, there is no mandate to give up a union with Montenegro, Kostunica said and added that differences and disintegration processes are far less important than the integration factor of Serbia-Montenegro.

In the first year of its mandate, Kostunica praised the success of the Serbian government for its intensive legislative activity, its ability to bring into line state institutions, the adoption of laws in line with European norms, and the favourable feasibility study which Kostunica expects soon. At the same time, Kostunica also criticised the delay in the adoption of the new Serbian constitution.

The constitution may be adopted in the next few months if a political consensus is reached, Kostunica said, noting that the feasibility study will have a positive impact on this. He added that the new constitution will open possibilities for creating institutions different from the present ones.

According to Kostunica, legislative changes in the social sphere should lead to other changes, including the improvement of life in Serbia. Kostunica pointed out that different goals will cause people to criticise politics, but that his aim is to bring calm and prosperity to Serbia.

Speaking on the status of Kosovo-Metohija, the Serbian Prime Minister said that it is unimaginable that this or any other government of Serbia could acknowledge an independent Kosovo.

He said that Belgrade is often criticised for not having a uniform stance on the Kosovo issue, but that while there may be differences on some specific issues, such as recent provincial elections, there is agreement between all political factors on the independence of Kosovo-Metohija, that being that such a move would be absolutely unacceptable.

Noting that the situation in Kosovo has not changed significantly and that the last discussion of the UN Security Council showed that it is very complex, Kostunica underscored that the issue of standards cannot be avoided, including consideration of the rights of Serb and non-Albanian communities.

Kostunica said that talks on standards or status of Kosovo-Metohija will be led by UNMIK, interim institutions in the province and Belgrade authorities, with the Contact Group playing an important role of mediator.