Byzantine Blog

Rice, Fried and Steinmeier Get the Same Message in Moscow: Severing Kosovo from Serbia Not An Option

As Rice’s attempts to make Russia give up on Serbia’s Kosovo province and let her State Department (she took the biggest Serbophobe, Daniel Fried, with her), along with Brussels, keep on doing whatever they like in Serbia have miserably failed, and as German Foreign Minister received the same message regarding Kosovo province in Moscow, Serbia has formed a new government.

Reelected Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica confirmed in the national Parliament that democratic parties which have formed the government have reached “a full agreement over five crucial principles of the government policy,” of which Serbia’s position on the Kosovo-Metohija province remains firm and unchanged.

For Serbia, Kosovo-Metohija Will Remain Its Integral Part Forever

Presenting the newly elected government’s policy in the Serbian Parliament, Premier Vojislav Kostunica said that for Serbia, Kosovo-Metohija would forever be an integral and inalienable part of its territory.

[...] This government also starts from the fact that state policy towards Kosovo is defined by the Constitution of Serbia, expressed will of the people at the referendum and the resolutions adopted in Serbian parliament. In the previous period, three most important state institutions — Serbian parliament, Serbian government and Serbian President — had a unique policy implemented by the state negotiating team.

[...] This government, just like the previous one, will start from the fact that the Security Council is the last institution in the world that can violate the UN Charter and that because of that it will never adopt a resolution that allows the seizure of 15% of the territory of a UN member state. We simply believe that there are states, such as Russia, that will prevent that principles and foundations on which the entire world order rests be violated and pulled down.

Possible Unilateral Recognition Nothing but Smoke and Mirrors

That is why I address now all our citizens in Kosovo-Metohija with a clear message: you have to know that for Serbia Kosovo will forever be an integral and inalienable part of our territory and you must be aware of the fact that any one-sided proclamation and recognition of independence is pure fog and cobweb. To speak more clearly, a one-sided recognition is less than zero and you must not be scared by it and forced to leave your homes and our province. This government will form a ministry for Kosovo-Metohija precisely in order to confirm in practice that for the Serbian government Kosovo will always be a Serbian province.

[...] This government too will have a consistent policy based on the belief that any one-sided recognition of Kosovo’s independence would represent the harshest and almost double violation of UN norms. Because in that case, both the UN Charter and the valid Resolution 1244 would be violated, by which every state that decides to take such an illegal action would directly run down the authority of this world organization. Esteemed parliament members, the Security Council is completely familiar with our arguments and the position that the Serbian government would reject as null and void any recognition of the province’s independence.

Whoever Supports Kosovo Amputation is Serbia’s Enemy

In conclusion, a possible one-sided recognition of the province’s independence by some states would represent a direct belittling of the Security Council’s authority, violation of the UN Charter, Resolution 1244 and the Serbian Constitution. Hence, the Serbian government rejects in advance as null and void and for Serbia non-existent any form of one-sided recognition and it states in advance that Serbia will always treat Kosovo-Metohija as its integral part. Also, the government warns that a possible recognition of the province’s independence can by no means be represented as an act of friendship towards Serbia because that is an act of the harshest interference in another country’s internal affairs. Every country that would decide to recognize Kosovo’s independence one-sidedly has to take into account that this would cause serious consequences in mutual relations. I want to stress that the answer of every Serbian citizen in Kosovo-Metohija and of the Serbian government to any form of one-sided recognition is simply — Kosovo remains a province within Serbia.

This government also begins with the conviction that influential countries in the international community will uphold the universal principles of international law and no one will dare resort to unilateral recognition. The government expresses full willingness to do its part of the job for finding a compromise and just solution, and will be ready, at any moment, to begin talks and participate in the negotiation process. We believe that it is possible to find a compromise and we will persist in our demand that talks be held and an acceptable form of autonomy found for the ethnic-Albanian minority in Kosovo-Metohija.