Kostunica About Negotiations, NATO, Ahtisaari Plan
Kostunica: Widest Autonomy, But No Breaking Up the State
Direct negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija are the only way for finding a sustainable solution, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has said, voicing his belief that the full strength of Serbian arguments will be shown at the meeting between Belgrade and Pristina delegations in New York.
“Our proposal envisions a very wide autonomy for Kosovo institutions, and its only limitation is not to violate the country’s territorial integrity. We offer the Albanian national minority to decide about their own fate in all issues, but we will not let the essence of the state — its integrity and sovereignty — be violated,” Kostunica said Friday, in an interview for the Saturday issue of the Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti.
In case Kosovo Albanian separatists declare independence unilaterally, Serbia should respond, Kostunica said.
According to Tanjug, this response will be “primarily for NATO, which is the main participant without whom such a development would not take place.”
No Serbian Soldier Will Be Sent to Afghanistan or Iraq for the Interests of Others
Speaking about rejection of NATO membership as Serbia’s eventual goal, he stressed that the EU and NATO integrations were two separate issues.
“We are not jeopardizing Serbia’s European integration for a single moment. Moreover, a number of EU countries are not NATO members. This is not a condition.”
“Eventually, the people will have a say about that organization. We had too many victims during the wars in which Serbia was engaged, to now cause, by joining NATO, more victims in order to sacrifice for someone else’s interests and in other continents,” said Kostunica.
“Serbia has suffered enough and will not now take part in confrontations worldwide to suffer more. This is why it is quite certain that no Serbian soldier will be sent to military missions in either Iraq or Afghanistan,” he said.
“The Partnership for Peace program represents the full measure of our cooperation with NATO and Serbia should firmly conduct a policy of military neutrality,” Kostunica stated.
Annex 11 of Ahtisaari Plan is What It’s All About
Speaking about the progress of the Kosovo status talks, Kostunica pointed out that the Ahtisaari plan “has definitively became a thing of the past, ever since the failed attempt to push a new resolution based on it through the UN Security Council.”
“The idea to use Ahtisaari plan now as a basis for unilateral independence, shows that the implementation of Annex 11 of the plan is even more important than the fate of Serbia and the fate of the ethnic Albanian minority in the province.”
“Annex 11 is the essence of the issue,” Kostunica said.
China Supports Belgrade Kosovo Stance
Meanwhile, Serbian Premier has met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Qiao Zonghuai, who stressed that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, respects the UN Charter and supports Belgrade-Pristina negotiations without time limitations. Chinese official said that the solution for southern Serbian province must not be imposed, as it would have serious consequences.
“Only a solution accepted by both sides is a way to solve the issue of Kosovo-Metohija and to attain the peace and stability in the region,” Zonghuai said.
Serbian government reports that the two officials also reached a high level of agreement concerning Kosovo-Metohija status settlement.
Graphic by Simonovic (Serbia)
Comments
It really disturbs me to keep hearing: “Only a solution accepted by both sides is a way to solve the issue of Kosovo-Metohija and to attain the peace and stability in the region”.
This is "pie in the sky".
I would reword as follows: “Only a solution accepted by Belgrade AND the expulsion of all illegals and malcontents from Serb provinces such as Kosovo is the way to solve the issue of Kosovo-Metohija and to attain the peace and stability in the region”.
The albaniac muslims are in Kosovo only to exploit the freedoms and liberties extended to them thru the generosity of the Serb peoples and to seize whatever territory folks are stupid enough to allow them to take. They should be expelled.
For sure Serbia should NOT become a member of backstabbing NATO and for sure she should NOT supply troops to coalition forces under the "shakey, wobbly, schizophrenic" leadership of backstabbing George Bush. Serb troops should defend their homeland, their national sovereignty and eastern Europe from onslaught by the ottomans, their dimwit stooges in western europe and washington, DC.
Posted by: joesixpack31 | September 22, 2007 10:35 AM
The saying of the “Only a solution accepted by both sides is a way to solve the issue of Kosovo-Metohija and to attain the peace and stability in the region”, was coined by the Russians (if I'm not mistaken) and it was followed by the clarification that the Albanian side is only being catered for by the West but that Serbia's acceptance has to be sought too.
Russia's insistence on legal solution has been re-affirmed repeatedly for which there is growing support amongst other powers and concerned countries world wide. In the political and diplomatic jargon it is a powerful term that encompasses a rather broad meaning without a hint at one sidedness.
I do however agree with you as to what it should be worded as, and the way this whole saga is being pursued by the West and their Albanian partners in crime, I dare say it will end that way.
Posted by: brian | September 23, 2007 06:20 PM