Kosovo Province Will Never be Independent
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in front of a restaurant in Hattenheim where they dined and talked one-to-one, Germany, Sunday Oct. 14, 2007.
Russia and Germany Moving Closer Together on a Range of Issues
On the final day of their two-day summit in Wiesbaden, the leaders of Russia and Germany said that the two countries are moving closer together on a range of issues and share many common goals.
According to RIA Novosti, the two leaders had an easygoing exchange during the entire summit, while the AP reports as “the only hints of friction [...] Merkel’s reminder of the need for strong civil societies, and Putin’s calls for more educational exchanges so Germans ‘would not get a biased and politicized view of our country’.”
For Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, Russia is a main partner Germany can not afford to lose, analysts say.
Russia is Germany’s key gas and oil supplier, and German investment in Russia exceeded 2 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months.
According to the RTS, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated after the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that solution for the most heated political issues, such as southern Serbian province of Kosovo, demands a multilateral approach and joint efforts.
“Clearly, we can resolve all the conflicts, including the global ones, only if we make an effort to find the common ground, even when that doesn’t seem easy,” said Merkel during the joint press conference.
Kosovo will Never be Independent Despite Threats, Pressure
Kosovo-Metohija will never be an independent state, regardless of the type of pressure, conditions and threats to which Serbia is exposed, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said on Sunday.
Addressing the Assembly of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), which he heads, Kostunica said that Kosovo could be an independent state only if Serbia recognized it or if the UN Security Council violated the UN Charter.
“The whole world knows fully well that neither Serbia would ever recognize Kosovo independence, nor the UN Security Council will violate the UN Charter,” Kostunica said. “That means Kosovo will never be a UN member state.”
“Both (Kosovo) Albanian separatists and states which sponsor the severing of our province are more than aware of this fact. They also know well that all the laws — political, ethical, constitutional and international — are on Serbia’s side,” Kostunica said.
Dismissing speculations that Serbia may be willing to trade 15 percent of its territory for a “fast-track approach to EU membership”, the premier said that Serbia would not trade part of its land for anything, regardless of any pressure, threats and conditioning.
Comments
In my opinion, it's in best interest of Serbia to abandon any pretence of interest in joining the European Union! After all, it is not desired by the Serbian population to join the EU, rather such idea is planted and being relentlessly pedalled by a few West European would-be dictators/colonialists, and is widely supported by the western controlled-MSM.
Historically, Serbia has always had closer relationship with Russia than with any other country. Additionally, Russia is probably the sole power that has never militarily attacked Serbia, and has many times extended support to Serbia! Compare this with most recent and repeated attacks on the Serbs by USA-led and West Europe supported-NATO, or going back to the 1940's attack on the Serbs by Germans and their allies, such as Serbia's neighbours, including Croats, Bosniaks, Albaniaks, or going even further back to the 1914's attack on the Serbs by Austrians-Hungarians, and you get a picture what the Serbs can expect if they "join" the European Union:(
Posted by: Tide | October 16, 2007 03:53 PM
I share Tide's views on this matter and have often wondered why the current Serbian leadership canvasses the open possibility of joining the EU unless, of course, some of them are acting acording to the EU script. So far the idea has not benefited the Serbs in any way at all.
Posted by: Bozidar | October 17, 2007 04:39 AM
Maybe a more subtle approach is called for. Rather than Serbia stating that they will not join the EU, would it not be better for the EU to say that they won't take Serbia? After all, the EU denies any linkage between Kosovo 'independence' and Serbia joining the EU.
This is a total lie of course.
Techincally, any country with territory disputes can't join the EU. In reality, the rule (acquis communautaire) is suprisingly flexible, hence allowing the deeply corrupt states of Bulgaria and Romania in. Add to this that Estonia(?) joined the EU eventhough there was still disagreement with Russia over territory (now recently settled).
If it is the EU that is seen to shut the door to Serbia, then it will be much harder for the EU to blame the Serbs if 'the wrong people' are voted in to government. The 'pragmatic' EU bureaucrats argue that if they poke Serbia in the eye, then the Radicals will end up running the country. While the other side would be quite happy to use this as an excuse to punish the Serbs further, the reality is that as long as Serbia is not in the EU, its balkan stabilization policy is a joke. Add to this the proposed 'south stream' pipeline and the EU's energy security policy (yes, I know I used the oxymoron 'EU' and 'security' in the same sentence) means that punishing Serbia means punishing Serbia's neighbors, much as sanctions did throughout the 1990s.
I say let the EU cast the first stone. I just hope the Serb diplomats can hold their tongues at the right times...!
Posted by: Aleks | October 18, 2007 02:16 PM
With EU displaying a long list of conditions before Serbia can even contemplate its membership I dare say that they have made their point clear. For Serbia to abide by that set of conditions would be self defeating at best.
The EU is not the place Serbia would want to be in and the only policy Serbia should adhere to is of self determination with strong links to Russia and other countries that support its sovereignty. Serbia should make it clear where she stands and that no efforts would be spared to protect its territories. Any cooperation with the ICTY should be annulled.
Posted by: brian | October 18, 2007 07:29 PM
With due respect, I don’t think that this is a time for subtleties when the Serbs are concerned. In fact, I believe that the Serbs have been mistreated so badly in the last 20 years largely because they were too subtle. The European Union has attacked the Serbs indiscriminately over and over and again for the last 20 years, militarily, economically and existentially mainly for its own arrogant reasons, and because they could (to paraphrase the USA president William Clinton). A Serbian report published today suggests that 20% of citizens of Serbia are living in poverty - which means that poverty in Serbia has increased dramatically since the EU via NATO got foothold in Serbia.
For all that time, the Serbs never showed any sign of hostility towards the European Union (unlike Muslim-Croat Bosniaks or Serbian Albanians) and the Serbian “political elite” has been trying blindly to satisfy wishes of the European Union even when those were directly against existential interests of the largest proportion of Serbian people. For what? To be humiliated even further?
The time has come for the Serbs to clearly demonstrate their position, and reject a membership of an organisation that has harmed Serbia for most of its existance. If not now, when?
Posted by: tide | October 19, 2007 05:04 PM
As for ICTY, I would support a careful and independant review of ICTY's work so far at the UN SC, In any case, more Russian, Chinese and Indian judges, for example, as well as more interpreters for Serbian language would help to improve international credibility of ICTY and would give a fairer chance to Serbian defendants, who have been unfairly disadvantaged by Muslim-Croat Bosniaks misinterpretations.
Posted by: tide | October 19, 2007 06:28 PM