EU wants Proroković remarks explained

The EU wants Serbia to clarify remarks by a junior minister that Serb troops could be sent into Kosovo. Secretary of State for Kosovo Dusan Prorokovic said this could happen in the event of Western recognition of the province's independence. EU wants Prorokovic remarks explained EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn called the reported comments by the secretary of state for Kosovo, Dusan Prorokovic, "highly unfortunate" and said he expected a clarification before Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica visits Brussels on Wednesday. "It is not comprehensible that a country that is pleading for a negotiated settlement on the one hand, makes such threats of violence on the other hand which question its commitment to serious negotiations," Rehn told Reuters in an interview. "I trust the Serbian government understands it needs to clarify its position and to clearly state that threats of violence are not of this day," he added. Such language, a throwback to the 1990s rhetoric of the late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic, was unacceptable for a country aspiring to join the EU, Rehn said. Prorokovic told the New York Times that if the West were to recognise a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders, it would invalidate a 1999 agreement between Serbia and NATO, signed in Kumanovo, under which Serbian troops stay out of the province. "Without Kumanovo our army can go back without any legal limits. It can cross the boundary and go everywhere in Kosovo without any legal problems," he was quoted as saying. On the day Prorokovic's remarks were published, Rehn said visiting Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic assured him that Belgrade was not contemplating using force. "I will ask the Serbian government for a clarification of its position. Of course I believe what Foreign Minister Jeremic told me reflects the real position," he said. Asked whether Brussels might call off Kostunica's visit if it did not receive satisfactory assurances, Rehn said: "I hope by that time we will have received a clarification." The conflicting signals from Belgrade appear to reflect a power struggle between Kostunica's nationalists and President Boris Tadic's pro-Western reformers. Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac, who like Jeremic is a member of Tadic's Democratic Party, slapped down Prorokovic for "waving an empty gun" and told him to keep his "nose in his own ministry". "There will be no unilateral military response," Sutanovac told Friday's daily Blic. "The time when our politicians were sending other people's kids to be killed on their behalf is behind us." Asked to comment on Prorokovic's remarks, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told reporters in Viana do Castelo: "I don't think there will be a military reaction from the Serbians." Highly unfortunate: Olli Rehn (FoNet) Botsan-Kharchenko: “Belgrade reaction was forced” Russian representative to the Contact Group mediating Troika Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko feels that warning statements coming from Belgrade representatives in the event of a unilateral declaration of independence had been “a forced reaction.” “The Kosovo Albanians continue saying that they will shortly declare independence, and that they could do this unilaterally. Belgrade officials were forced to retaliate," he told the Russian news agency, Interfax. Kharchenko said that when the mediators met again with Belgrade and Pristina officials in London on September 18 and 19, “that question would be re-examined.” Consequences of anti-NATO rhetoric Vuk Jeremic has warned the government that the anti-NATO rhetoric coming from certain members of the Democratic Party of Serbia has worried Serbia’s partners and the EU. Even countries with whom Serbia has traditionally had good relations have indicated concern over Belgrade’s new foreign policy course, B92 has learned. B92 understands that the government is divided over the question, as those ministers close to Kostunica feel that in the event of a Kosovo declaration of independence, Serbia has to send a message that it could potentially cut off diplomatic relations, should such a move receive NATO backing. On the subject of these remarks, words were exchanged at yesterday’s government session between Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac and Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardzic. The government has made no official statement on Prorokovic’s comments. The head of the European Commission’s delegation in Belgrade Josep Lloveras warns that the problems in Belgrade-NATO relations could affect Serbia’s European integration, adding that although these processes are separate, they are nonetheless related. Referring to Serbia’s “anti-NATO rhetoric”, Lloveras says that “Serbia will decide by herself on her future relations with NATO. But, both processes should be regarded as coherent, or rather, complementary.” The Spanish diplomat says that there was strong opposition in his country too to joining NATO, but that officials were in the end able to persuade citizens that membership was in their interests. Worrisome rhetoric: Vuk Jeremic (FoNet) Prorokovic: We are not threatening Meanwhile, the official who did the talking last week has spoken again to explain his statement that Serbia may use force in case of a unilateral recognition of its southern province's independence. Serbia is not threatening violence, Prorokovic said Saturday, and is instead merely looking to base its position in international law. "I don't know what made Commissioner Rehn interpret [my statement] as a threat of violence," Prorokovic said, and added he would be "happy to further explain himself" to Rehn and his associates. "It would not be serious for a EU commissioner to do this based on comments and free interpretation of my statements, given by analysts who are at the same time advisers to Albanian politicians," he said. "Serbia has been the constructive side in the talks for 18 months now and it is proposing solutions. The Albanian side is the one that is constantly rejecting them, saying that their frustration will lead to an outbreak of violence," Prorokovic added. "It is sad that some countries support this and say these Albanian threats of violence should be rewarded by the second Albanian state in the Balkans." "I know Rehn is not of that opinion and I believe he will condemn those irresponsible statements, and seek that the Albanian side explain their threats of violence and ethnic cleansing," Kostunica's party official concluded. Surprised by interpretation: Dusan Prorokovic (FoNet)

EU wants Proroković remarks explained

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn called the reported comments by the secretary of state for Kosovo, Dušan Proroković, "highly unfortunate" and said he expected a clarification before Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica visits Brussels on Wednesday.

"It is not comprehensible that a country that is pleading for a negotiated settlement on the one hand, makes such threats of violence on the other hand which question its commitment to serious negotiations," Rehn told Reuters in an interview.

"I trust the Serbian government understands it needs to clarify its position and to clearly state that threats of violence are not of this day," he added.

Such language, a throwback to the 1990s rhetoric of the late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosević, was unacceptable for a country aspiring to join the EU, Rehn said.

Proroković told the New York Times that if the West were to recognise a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders, it would invalidate a 1999 agreement between Serbia and NATO, signed in Kumanovo, under which Serbian troops stay out of the province.

"Without Kumanovo our army can go back without any legal limits. It can cross the boundary and go everywhere in Kosovo without any legal problems," he was quoted as saying.

On the day Proroković's remarks were published, Rehn said visiting Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić assured him that Belgrade was not contemplating using force.

"I will ask the Serbian government for a clarification of its position. Of course I believe what Foreign Minister Jeremić told me reflects the real position," he said.

Asked whether Brussels might call off Koštunica's visit if it did not receive satisfactory assurances, Rehn said: "I hope by that time we will have received a clarification."

The conflicting signals from Belgrade appear to reflect a power struggle between Koštunica's nationalists and President Boris Tadić's pro-Western reformers.

Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac, who like Jeremić is a member of Tadić's Democratic Party, slapped down Proroković for "waving an empty gun" and told him to keep his "nose in his own ministry".

"There will be no unilateral military response," Šutanovac told Friday's daily Blic. "The time when our politicians were sending other people's kids to be killed on their behalf is behind us."

Asked to comment on Proroković's remarks, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told reporters in Viana do Castelo: "I don't think there will be a military reaction from the Serbians."

Botsan-Kharchenko: “Belgrade reaction was forced”

Russian representative to the Contact Group mediating Troika Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko feels that warning statements coming from Belgrade representatives in the event of a unilateral declaration of independence had been “a forced reaction.”

“The Kosovo Albanians continue saying that they will shortly declare independence, and that they could do this unilaterally. Belgrade officials were forced to retaliate," he told the Russian news agency, Interfax.

Kharchenko said that when the mediators met again with Belgrade and Priština officials in London on September 18 and 19, “that question would be re-examined.”

Consequences of anti-NATO rhetoric

Vuk Jeremić has warned the government that the anti-NATO rhetoric coming from certain members of the Democratic Party of Serbia has worried Serbia’s partners and the EU.

Even countries with whom Serbia has traditionally had good relations have indicated concern over Belgrade’s new foreign policy course, B92 has learned.

B92 understands that the government is divided over the question, as those ministers close to Koštunica feel that in the event of a Kosovo declaration of independence, Serbia has to send a message that it could potentially cut off diplomatic relations, should such a move receive NATO backing.

On the subject of these remarks, words were exchanged at yesterday’s government session between Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac and Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardžić. The government has made no official statement on Proroković’s comments.

The head of the European Commission’s delegation in Belgrade Josep Lloveras warns that the problems in Belgrade-NATO relations could affect Serbia’s European integration, adding that although these processes are separate, they are nonetheless related.

Referring to Serbia’s “anti-NATO rhetoric”, Lloveras says that “Serbia will decide by herself on her future relations with NATO. But, both processes should be regarded as coherent, or rather, complementary.”

The Spanish diplomat says that there was strong opposition in his country too to joining NATO, but that officials were in the end able to persuade citizens that membership was in their interests.

Proroković: We are not threatening

Meanwhile, the official who did the talking last week has spoken again to explain his statement that Serbia may use force in case of a unilateral recognition of its southern province's independence.

Serbia is not threatening violence, Proroković said Saturday, and is instead merely looking to base its position in international law.

"I don't know what made Commissioner Rehn interpret [my statement] as a threat of violence," Proroković said, and added he would be "happy to further explain himself" to Rehn and his associates.

"It would not be serious for a EU commissioner to do this based on comments and free interpretation of my statements, given by analysts who are at the same time advisers to Albanian politicians," he said.

"Serbia has been the constructive side in the talks for 18 months now and it is proposing solutions. The Albanian side is the one that is constantly rejecting them, saying that their frustration will lead to an outbreak of violence," Proroković added.

"It is sad that some countries support this and say these Albanian threats of violence should be rewarded by the second Albanian state in the Balkans."

"I know Rehn is not of that opinion and I believe he will condemn those irresponsible statements, and seek that the Albanian side explain their threats of violence and ethnic cleansing," Koštunica's party official concluded.