Minister: Kosovo stand strengthened cabinet

Dragan Djilas (DS) says that the state policy regarding the Kosovo talks has "strengthened the government." "The united stand towards Kosovo presented to the United Nations had strengthened the government and was one of the guarantees for its survival," said the minister without portfolio, who is also responsible for implementing the National Investment Plan. Minister: Kosovo stand strengthened cabinet He told daily Vecernje Novosti that President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica had shown in New York that they were "united in defending Kosovo," something that "reinforced the government’s stability." Asked whether the Democratic Party (DS) regretted offering Kostunica the position of prime minister, Djilas said the government had "achieved much" in the last 120 days, and that his party was able to carry out "almost everything it promised during the election campaign." Asked how disputes between the Democrats and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) over the timeframe for holding new presidential and local elections would be resolved, Djilas said that it was clear, according to the Constitutional Law, that elections had to be called by the end of the year. “I do not see any reason for postponement. If someone offers us a strong argument against this, we will carefully analyze the situation, because we are a party that respects its coalition partners and always strives for consensus based on principles, not on political need,” Djilas said. Asked whether the argument, voiced by Kostunica and his DSS, that Serbia needed to resolve the Kosovo issue before new elections were announced was strong enough, Djilas replied that "Boris Tadic will be president for at least two more years and the DS will insist on these elections not because of the elections themselves, but because that’s what is stipulated by law.”

Minister: Kosovo stand strengthened cabinet

He told daily Večernje Novosti that President Boris Tadić and Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica had shown in New York that they were "united in defending Kosovo," something that "reinforced the government’s stability."

Asked whether the Democratic Party (DS) regretted offering Koštunica the position of prime minister, Đilas said the government had "achieved much" in the last 120 days, and that his party was able to carry out "almost everything it promised during the election campaign."

Asked how disputes between the Democrats and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) over the timeframe for holding new presidential and local elections would be resolved, Đilas said that it was clear, according to the Constitutional Law, that elections had to be called by the end of the year.

“I do not see any reason for postponement. If someone offers us a strong argument against this, we will carefully analyze the situation, because we are a party that respects its coalition partners and always strives for consensus based on principles, not on political need,” Đilas said.

Asked whether the argument, voiced by Koštunica and his DSS, that Serbia needed to resolve the Kosovo issue before new elections were announced was strong enough, Đilas replied that "Boris Tadić will be president for at least two more years and the DS will insist on these elections not because of the elections themselves, but because that’s what is stipulated by law.”