Jeremić: We'll continue Kosovo discussions

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic says it is important to keep Kosovo high on the international agenda. The outgoing chief of diplomacy from the Democratic Party, DS, told daily Blic that Belgrade will "continue to seek discussion at the Security Council and in all other international forums". Jeremic: We'll continue Kosovo discussions "As long as there is a chance to, from the highest stage, express our arguments, there is a chance for success. Our idea is to prevent the strategy of Kosovo's mass bilateral recognition," he said. In Jeremic's words, "this will send a clear signal that the strategy of imposition has met with failure and that we are in a deadend, that can only be overcome with a position that without dialogue and compromise, there is no future status of Kosovo that is internationally and legally viable". He also complained about the fact Serbia now has a technical government, saying it "additionally burdens the country's efforts when it comes to Kosovo and European integrations". "We continue with our active foreign policy over Kosovo which has for now yielded success, considering there are not as many recognitions of the illegal act of the temporary authorities in Pristina, as some have expected," Jeremic told the newspaper. He added there was "political will in Europe to integrate Serbia", but that it was "of crucial importance" for the citizens to make this decision. "Which means, the ball is in our court! I am convinced that after May 11 and a strong democratic confirmation of the European path, we will remove the remaining obstacles, one of the most important being the cooperation with the Hague," Jeremic voiced his optimism. He also said that "the EU has will to sing the SAA", but that the position of Serbia on the issue was crucially important. Early this year, Brussels decided against signing the agreement with Belgrade citing full cooperation with the UN war crimes court at The Hague as the condition. "Citizens must say whether they want a continuation of the European path and that will be one of the most important themes of these elections," he said in reference to the May 11 early parliamentary vote. The ruling coalition, led by President Boris Tadic's DS and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) collapsed over differences in their approach to the country's integrity regarding Kosovo and the EU integration. Now Jeremic says it is up to Serbia to decide when the SAA will be signed. "Whether the agreement is signed now or after the elections, whether it's in April, May, or June does not depend on the EU but on Serbia," he said. "It is necessary that the parliamentary elections end with the same message to the world as the presidential vote," he continued. "Then, we will have four years of absolutely open road ahead of us. After a strong democratic confirmation from the citizens all resistance and all obstacles toward European integration will be removed," Jeremic said.

Jeremić: We'll continue Kosovo discussions

"As long as there is a chance to, from the highest stage, express our arguments, there is a chance for success. Our idea is to prevent the strategy of Kosovo's mass bilateral recognition," he said.

In Jeremić's words, "this will send a clear signal that the strategy of imposition has met with failure and that we are in a deadend, that can only be overcome with a position that without dialogue and compromise, there is no future status of Kosovo that is internationally and legally viable".

He also complained about the fact Serbia now has a technical government, saying it "additionally burdens the country's efforts when it comes to Kosovo and European integrations".

"We continue with our active foreign policy over Kosovo which has for now yielded success, considering there are not as many recognitions of the illegal act of the temporary authorities in Priština, as some have expected," Jeremić told the newspaper.

He added there was "political will in Europe to integrate Serbia", but that it was "of crucial importance" for the citizens to make this decision.

"Which means, the ball is in our court! I am convinced that after May 11 and a strong democratic confirmation of the European path, we will remove the remaining obstacles, one of the most important being the cooperation with the Hague," Jeremić voiced his optimism.

He also said that "the EU has will to sing the SAA", but that the position of Serbia on the issue was crucially important. Early this year, Brussels decided against signing the agreement with Belgrade citing full cooperation with the UN war crimes court at The Hague as the condition.

"Citizens must say whether they want a continuation of the European path and that will be one of the most important themes of these elections," he said in reference to the May 11 early parliamentary vote.

The ruling coalition, led by President Boris Tadić's DS and Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)

collapsed over differences in their approach to the country's integrity regarding Kosovo and the EU integration.

Now Jeremić says it is up to Serbia to decide when the SAA will be signed.

"Whether the agreement is signed now or after the elections, whether it's in April, May, or June does not depend on the EU but on Serbia," he said.

"It is necessary that the parliamentary elections end with the same message to the world as the presidential vote," he continued.

"Then, we will have four years of absolutely open road ahead of us. After a strong democratic confirmation from the citizens all resistance and all obstacles toward European integration will be removed," Jeremić said.