Byzantine Blog

Kostunica: Ahtisaari’s Draft One-Sided, Not Ready to Go Before the UN Security Council

Belgrade, March 15, 2007 (Source: Serbian Government) — Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today that the proposal by UN Special Envoy Marti Ahtisaari regarding the status of Kosovo-Metohija does not fulfill a single condition for debate in the UN Security Council and added that the solution lies in opening a new negotiation process.

In a statement to the news agency Tanjug, Kostunica said that Ahtisaari’s proposal does not even fulfill formal conditions, because it is obviously not a compromise solution, rather Ahtisaari has decided to take sides with ethnic-Albanians, and has drafted a one-sided proposal.

He said that in doing so Ahtisaari has violated the foremost principle of the Contact Group, which recommended a solution based on compromise and agreement.

Paper Advocating Violation of the UN Charter Cannot be Considered in the UN

It is important to stress that Ahtisaari’s proposal in essence does not fulfill the conditions for appearing before the Security Council, keeping in view the fact that this proposal grossly violates the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of the inviolability of borders and respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of internationally recognized states, stressed Kostunica.

The Serbian Prime Minister said that due to that Ahtisaari’s proposal was rejected as illegal and illegitimate.

We are convinced that the Security Council cannot support a proposal which is directly opposed to the UN Charter, stressed Kostunica.

He said that Serbia sees the solution in beginning a new process of real and actual negotiations, which would lead to an agreement, in accordance with international law and the Constitution of Serbia.

Samardzic: Ahtisaari’s Proposal Unfit to be Presented to the UN Security Council

Belgrade, March 14, 2007 (Source: Serbian Government) — Advisor to the Serbian Prime Minister and coordinator of the state negotiating team for talks on Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said that the UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s “Comprehensive Proposal for Kosovo Status Settlement” is not even close to being ready to appear before the UN Security Council.

In an interview for today’s edition of the Vecernje Novosti daily, Samardzic wondered whether the proposal will ever be placed before the UN Security Council.

He said that no proposal will reach the UN Security Council unless its member countries reach minimum consensus on acceptance and declaration of a new resolution, and Ahtisaari’s proposal is unfit for that.

Samardzic thinks that new talks should be organized and ethnic Albanian side convinced to sit down and negotiate without first being given promises as to the outcome of the talks.

From the very beginning, Russia and China have been reiterating two things — that only the two contesting sides may reach the solution and that the negotiating process should not be artificially limited in any way, said the Prime Minister’s Advisor.

The behaviour of Russia and China is not only principled, but there is also certain gradualness in their actions, as well as serenity.

Trampling Over the International Laws and Proclaiming the Law of the Jungle

“We should first expect somewhat more intensive consultations which should begin as soon as it becomes absolutely clear that these two states are not ready to make the final decision on an issue with such inevitably disastrous consequences,” said Samardzic.

According to Samardzic, once these consultations begin, proposals of the Serbian side will finally get the political right and will have to be taken into consideration by other members of the Contact Group.

He added that the Serbian team is ready to continue negotiations on Kosovo-Metohija, which was emphasised at the last meeting in Vienna by Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica.

Samardzic believes that if the Security Council does not accept the proposal, the chances that Kosovo independence will be acknowledged are relatively small because in that case, the EU should take up its share of affairs without the basis provided by a UN Security Council resolution.

If that becomes the case, the entire matter would completely sidetrack away from international law and order, concluded Samardzic.