Byzantine Blog

Kosovo-Metohija Serbs Unanimously Adopt Declaration on Preserving Kosovo Within Serbia

According to Tanjug, a Declaration on the preservation of Kosovo-Metohija within Serbia was adopted unanimously in the provincial town of Kosovska Mitrovica on Friday, at a session of the Community of Serb municipalities and places in Kosovo and Metohija and the Serbian National Council (SNV) of Northern Kosovo and Metohija.

Declaration, which was drafted by the Serbian Kosovo-Metohija communities on the grounds of the Serbian Constitution, the United Nations Charter, and UN Security Council Resolution 1244, underscores that Kosovo and Metohija represents “a part of the unique and indivisible territory of the sovereign state of Serbia,” Community of Serb municipalities President Marko Jaksic explained.

“We, the citizens of the Republic of Serbia from Kosovo and Metohija, confirm with this Declaration that we will consider non-existent and legally invalid any possible acts or actions with which the independence of Kosovo and Metohija is proclaimed unilaterally, and that we will consider valid only the acts or actions by the government of the Republic of Serbia, other state organs of the Republic of Serbia, and the Constitutional and state-legal order of the Republic of Serbia,” the Declaration said.

SNV of Northern Kosovo President Milan Ivanovic said that there can be no severing of the southern Serbian province. “If United States would nevertheless unilaterally recognize the independence of Kosovo-Metohija, such act would annul the UN Security Council Resolution 1244. In that way, there would be no legal grounds whatsoever for the continuous United States’ presence in the province,” said Ivanovic.

The Declaration will be put up for signing by the Serbs and other non-Albanians throughout Kosovo and Metohija. Collecting of signatures will begin symbolically on Vidovdan (St Vitus day), June 28, at Gazimestan.

Serbian Prime Minister: U.S. Policy Leads to Deterioration in Relations

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said on Monday that the United States spearheaded the efforts to create another Albanian state in the territory of Serbia and added that this directly resulted in the deterioration of bilateral relations.

“Frequent statements of US officials in favor of Kosovo independence lead to the deterioration of the Serbian-US relations,” Kostunica was quoted by the RTS as saying.

He said that Serbian officials had repeatedly made it clear that the preservation of territorial integrity was Serbia’s top state and national interest.

“We think that our demand that the US, in line with the UN Charter, should respect Serbia’s internationally recognized borders, is completely legitimate. If the US wants to develop good relations with Serbia, then it goes without saying that it must respect Serbia’s territorial integrity,” Kostunica said, adding that the entire international order and inter-governmental relations among all sovereign states rest on this universal rule.