"EU help needed for Kosovo autonomy plan"

Turning Kosovo Albanians into loyal Serbian citizens is unlikely, Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic told Reuters. "We try to be realistic as much as possible," he said in an interview Thursday. "EU help needed for Kosovo autonomy plan" "They are looking for independence. They cannot get it as far as Serbia is concerned. So we must find a middle ground." Serbia would need European Union help to implement a plan for the self-government of Kosovo if the ethnic Albanian majority of the province accepts it, but it would be a wise investment, Samardzic, of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's DSS, told the agency. "The European experience is to resolve these issues through compromise solutions which are all different, like South Tyrol and the Basque country," he said. Serbia proposes "the highest level of autonomy on offer anywhere in Europe, maybe even in the world," Samardzic said, and added Belgrade was not seeking "absolute victory" over Kosovo Albanians. Samardzic acknowledged the Albanians would likely remain a "hostile population" for some time, so the question of who would actually man border posts would have to be answered pragmatically. He said it was primarily up to the international community to guarantee the settlement, "in the form of a civilian and military mission for some period, to keep the peace". "The EU is ready to pay," Samardzic said. "....maybe it's cheaper than 30 years of clashes." "Independence is just a magic word," Samardzic said. "They get empty symbolism, and they will be a black hole in Europe." "We are looking for a historical compromise that will satisfy both legitimate interests," he stressed. "If one side imposes a solution on the other, we are only postponing our conflict, and it will last decades." "I think our solution is conciliatory, it's not about absolute victory," Samardzic concluded. Samardzic (right): Clashes cost the most (Beta, archive)

"EU help needed for Kosovo autonomy plan"

"They are looking for independence. They cannot get it as far as Serbia is concerned. So we must find a middle ground."

Serbia would need European Union help to implement a plan for the self-government of Kosovo if the ethnic Albanian majority of the province accepts it, but it would be a wise investment, Samardžić, of Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica's DSS, told the agency.

"The European experience is to resolve these issues through compromise solutions which are all different, like South Tyrol and the Basque country," he said.

Serbia proposes "the highest level of autonomy on offer anywhere in Europe, maybe even in the world," Samardžić said, and added Belgrade was not seeking "absolute victory" over Kosovo Albanians.

Samardžić acknowledged the Albanians would likely remain a "hostile population" for some time, so the question of who would actually man border posts would have to be answered pragmatically.

He said it was primarily up to the international community to guarantee the settlement, "in the form of a civilian and military mission for some period, to keep the peace".

"The EU is ready to pay," Samardžić said. "....maybe it's cheaper than 30 years of clashes."

"Independence is just a magic word," Samardžić said. "They get empty symbolism, and they will be a black hole in Europe."

"We are looking for a historical compromise that will satisfy both legitimate interests," he stressed.

"If one side imposes a solution on the other, we are only postponing our conflict, and it will last decades."

"I think our solution is conciliatory, it's not about absolute victory," Samardžić concluded.