"UN GA likely to adopt Serbian plan"

Luxembourg FM Jean Asselborn believes Serbia’s ICJ initiative will be passed comfortably by the UN General Assembly. Asselborn said that a country could not be denied the right to seek the opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “if we’re being principled”. "UN GA likely to adopt Serbian plan" However, he said that “they’re wrong in Belgrade if they think that that will solve the Kosovo problem, it will just be frozen.” The minister said that 47 countries had recognized Kosovo and “an ICJ ruling cannot invalidate those recognitions.” The EU needs to help Serbia conduct a “de-Kosovization of the political agenda”, and if activating the Interim Trade Agreement and adoption of Belgrade’s initiative at the General Assembly can help in this regard, then “that should be supported”, he believes. “We need to eliminate the constant stress Serbian society feels over Kosovo,” said Asselborn, adding that ahead of the vote in New York, EU members were trying to adopt a common position, as they were currently divided on the issue. Meanwhile, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu is not concerned about the fact Serbia’s initiative has reached the General Assembly agenda, as he believes that it will fail to gain a majority in the UN, report Pristina media. Serbia’s motion to seek the ICJ’s advisory opinion on the legality of the province’s independence declaration was officially included on the General Assembly agenda on Friday. “I don’t think there’ll be international support for Serbia’s initiative. I can’t say what the General Assembly’s decision will be, but the whole independence process is based on international principles and has international support, and that’s why we’re not concerned,” Sejdiu told daily Ekspres. The president traveled to New York yesterday together with the province’s foreign policy chief Skender Hyseni, stating that he would be holding a series of meetings with various leaders during his 9-day stay at UN headquarters. He said that Serbia’s initiative could cause certain countries to hesitate over recognition, but stressed that “Kosovo nonetheless has big international support”. Sejdiu said he was sure that the countries in the region would soon recognize Kosovo’s unilateral independence. “I expect it to happen fast. It’s not for me give any dates, but all the current signals indicate there will be positive steps very soon,” said the president, prior to leaving for New York. The General Assembly

"UN GA likely to adopt Serbian plan"

However, he said that “they’re wrong in Belgrade if they think that that will solve the Kosovo problem, it will just be frozen.”

The minister said that 47 countries had recognized Kosovo and “an ICJ ruling cannot invalidate those recognitions.”

The EU needs to help Serbia conduct a “de-Kosovization of the political agenda”, and if activating the Interim Trade Agreement and adoption of Belgrade’s initiative at the General Assembly can help in this regard, then “that should be supported”, he believes.

“We need to eliminate the constant stress Serbian society feels over Kosovo,” said Asselborn, adding that ahead of the vote in New York, EU members were trying to adopt a common position, as they were currently divided on the issue.

Meanwhile, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu is not concerned about the fact Serbia’s initiative has reached the General Assembly agenda, as he believes that it will fail to gain a majority in the UN, report Priština media.

Serbia’s motion to seek the ICJ’s advisory opinion on the legality of the province’s independence declaration was officially included on the General Assembly agenda on Friday.

“I don’t think there’ll be international support for Serbia’s initiative. I can’t say what the General Assembly’s decision will be, but the whole independence process is based on international principles and has international support, and that’s why we’re not concerned,” Sejdiu told daily Ekspres.

The president traveled to New York yesterday together with the province’s foreign policy chief Skender Hyseni, stating that he would be holding a series of meetings with various leaders during his 9-day stay at UN headquarters.

He said that Serbia’s initiative could cause certain countries to hesitate over recognition, but stressed that “Kosovo nonetheless has big international support”.

Sejdiu said he was sure that the countries in the region would soon recognize Kosovo’s unilateral independence.

“I expect it to happen fast. It’s not for me give any dates, but all the current signals indicate there will be positive steps very soon,” said the president, prior to leaving for New York.