Koštunica: Serbia to propose continued talks

Vojislav Kostunica travels to New York today, where he will attend the Dec. 19 UN Security Council Kosovo meeting. The prime minister said on Monday that Belgrade's delegation attending the Wedensday session of the UN Security Council will propose a continuation of the negotiations on the future status of Kosovo. Kostunica: Serbia to propose continued talks "At the same time, it has to be clear that Serbia has already rejected and annulled in advance any unilateral act on the creation of a marionette formation on the Serbian territory," the prime minister underlined in an interview with Tanjug ahead of his departure for New York. "We are willing to negotiate, we are ready for a compromise, but Serbia has to remain whole. The Serbian Constitution proves the will of the people that Kosovo is Serbia and that it can never be otherwise for the Serbian government and the state institutions," Kostunica said. The prime minister stressed that every solution which the Security Council might adopt in keeping with the UN Charter and the principles of current UN Security Council Resolution 1244 would be acceptable for Serbia. "Furthermore, having in mind the fact that Serbia is overcast by threats, it is our duty today to resists the brutal violence of international law and the attempt to snatch away part of our territory. We have no other choice than that to be against such a policy of force and to insist on our right to preserve Serbia's wholeness," Kostunica said. According to the prime minister, Serbia relies on the law, and it cannot and will not accept anything else but a compromise solution for the organization of the province, which would be approved by the UN Security Council. As announced, Kostunica, who is accompanied by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic, will meet with officials of United Nations Security Council member countries. Talks between Belgrade and Pristina ended on December 10 without reaching a compromise, after which the mediating Troika compromised of officials representing the United States, European Union and Russia submitted a report on the negotiations to the UN Security Council. The Security Council meeting on December 19 will be closed to the public. Besides Kostunica, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu will also be speaking at the session. Serbia had asked the UN not allow officials of the Kosovo temporary institutions to speak at the meeting, because they do not represent a country, but Security Council members reached a compromise for allowing a Kosovo official to speak. In an effort to find a compromise, Vitaly Churkin, Representative of the Russian Federation at the UN, proposed that Sejdiu be invited by the rules afforded to speakers and guests who are not state officials. Serbian Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardzic expressed his dissatisfaction that the Security Council did not schedule the meeting to be open to the public. According to the Reuters news agency, the UN does not expect any concrete solutions or results to come as a result of the meeting on December 19. “The Security Council is divided, it is not capable of deciding, so the message is expected to be that all other actions will be transferred to Brussels and the European Union,” an unnamed European diplomat stated. Vojislav Kostunica (Tanjug)

Koštunica: Serbia to propose continued talks

"At the same time, it has to be clear that Serbia has already rejected and annulled in advance any unilateral act on the creation of a marionette formation on the Serbian territory," the prime minister underlined in an interview with Tanjug ahead of his departure for New York.

"We are willing to negotiate, we are ready for a compromise, but Serbia has to remain whole. The Serbian Constitution proves the will of the people that Kosovo is Serbia and that it can never be otherwise for the Serbian government and the state institutions," Koštunica said.

The prime minister stressed that every solution which the Security Council might adopt in keeping with the UN Charter and the principles of current UN Security Council Resolution 1244 would be acceptable for Serbia.

"Furthermore, having in mind the fact that Serbia is overcast by threats, it is our duty today to resists the brutal violence of international law and the attempt to snatch away part of our territory. We have no other choice than that to be against such a policy of force and to insist on our right to preserve Serbia's wholeness," Koštunica said.

According to the prime minister, Serbia relies on the law, and it cannot and will not accept anything else but a compromise solution for the organization of the province, which would be approved by the UN Security Council.

As announced, Koštunica, who is accompanied by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić and Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić, will meet with officials of United Nations Security Council member countries.

Talks between Belgrade and Priština ended on December 10 without reaching a compromise, after which the mediating Troika compromised of officials representing the United States, European Union and Russia submitted a report on the negotiations to the UN Security Council.

The Security Council meeting on December 19 will be closed to the public. Besides Koštunica, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu will also be speaking at the session.

Serbia had asked the UN not allow officials of the Kosovo temporary institutions to speak at the meeting, because they do not represent a country, but Security Council members reached a compromise for allowing a Kosovo official to speak.

In an effort to find a compromise, Vitaly Churkin, Representative of the Russian Federation at the UN, proposed that Sejdiu be invited by the rules afforded to speakers and guests who are not state officials.

Serbian Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardžić expressed his dissatisfaction that the Security Council did not schedule the meeting to be open to the public.

According to the Reuters news agency, the UN does not expect any concrete solutions or results to come as a result of the meeting on December 19.

“The Security Council is divided, it is not capable of deciding, so the message is expected to be that all other actions will be transferred to Brussels and the European Union,” an unnamed European diplomat stated.