Byzantine Blog

Former German Chancellor Schroeder Opposes the Imposed Solution for Serbian Kosovo Province

BELGRADE, Serbia, Jan. 19, 2007 — Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has said that an imposed solution for Serbian Kosovo-Metohija province would be useless, and expressed belief that such a move will not be made after all.

In an interview for the Friday issue of the Belgrade daily Blic, former chancellor Schroeder assessed that since it was presiding over the European Union (EU), Germany should first and foremost insist that negotiations with Serbia on the signing of agreement on stabilization and association with the EU be resumed.

“I am convinced that Germany will do all in its power to encourage and assist the European integration of Serbia, in the way that we did in 2005 and after,” Schroeder said.

“The conclusion of the agreement on association and stabilization is only the first step in that process, but it is very important for ensuring that Serbia really joins the EU,” he said.

EU: Serious and Lengthy Negotiations After Ahtisaari’s Proposal

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Jan. 19, 2007 — The European Union expects a lengthy period of negotiations to ensue after United Nations special envoy Martti Ahtisaari presents his proposal for the future status of Serbian Kosovo and Metohija province, a senior official of Germany’s EU Presidency said in Brussels on Friday.

It is difficult to predict the duration of these negotiations, but they will be lengthy ones, depending on the proposal and the extent to which it will be accepted by the two sides, the German official said.

It is expected in Brussels that Ahtisaari will present his proposal on Feb 2.

The EU Ministerial Council will discuss this issue at a meeting on Monday, in the course of a working lunch dedicated to the elections in Serbia, but the German official expects the issue of the southern Serbian province and Ahtisaari’s proposal will be discussed more thoroughly at the next Council meeting, on Feb 12.

Serbia’s PM: Finn’s Proposal Will be a Surprise, Since He Held No Negotiations With Us

BELGRADE, Serbia, Jan. 18, 2007 - Serbia’s most powerful weapon in finding a solution to the final status of its Kosovo-Metohija province is the United Nations Charter, which has to be observed in the case of Serbia as well, that is in the case of the country’s territorial integrity and state sovereignty, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica assessed late on Thursday.

”No one can find a reason why the UN Charter ought to be violated in the case of Serbia, while observed in all other cases,” Kostunica pointed out, reminding that the integrity of every state represents the very foundations of the Charter.

In an interview to Pink TV Kostunica reminded that along with Russia, another permanent member of the UN Security Council, China, shares this opinion as well, adding that there are several European countries which also think in a similar manner, such as Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Cyprus and Spain.

“I think that the talks will soon have to be approached in a different way, at the very moment when Ahtisaari makes his proposal public,” Kostunica said, adding that the proposal will come as a surprise to the public, simply because no negotiations were held in the meantime.

Kostunica: We Shall Implement Any Solution that is in Keeping with the International Law and UN Charter

BANJA LUKA, Republika Srpska, Jan. 19, 2007 — Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said on Friday that the Serbian government would implement any solution on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija province which is in keeping with international law and the UN Charter, which guarantee states’ sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Speaking at a news conference in Banja Luka, Kostunica said that the framework for the resolution of the future status of Serbian Kosovo-Metohija province should be sought within the international constitution or the UN Charter, which represents the foundation of stability and security in the world.

He said that the Serbian government had proposed a solution for the future status of southern Serbian province, the main feature of which is essential autonomy, stressing that this was a compromise solution.

Cartoon by Nikola Otas