Tadić: No changes to EULEX deal

President Boris Tadic on Wednesday rejected any changes in the agreement on the reconfiguration of international civil presence in Kosovo. The agreement, which pertains to the deployment of EU mission EULEX, was reached with the UN, officials in Belgrade insist; Kosovo Albanian leadership is yet to accept the deal. Tadic: No changes to EULEX deal “Every change in the agreement Serbia has reached with the UN on the reconfiguration of the civil mission is unacceptable, regardless of Pristina's expectations,” Tadic said at a news conference he held together with his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynsky in Warsaw. He reiterated Serbia's stand that EULEX is welcome in Kosovo only if the mission respects the principle of neutrality and if it comes approved by the UN Security Council. The Serbian and Polish agreed that Serbia's place is in the European Union, but Tadic underscored that, despite this strategic goal, "our country would not give up the preservation of Kosovo and Metohija within her borders". Tadic, together with 15 other heads of state and government, is in Warsaw for celebrations marking the 90th anniversary of the country’s independence. The Polish president has taken advantage of the presence of senior officials at the festivities to reiterate Warsaw’s firm support for expanding the EU towards the Western Balkans. "Serbia deserves EU membership, all the more so given her difficult history," Kaczynsky told journalists at a joint press conference with Tadic in Warsaw, Polish media report. "Serbia must become an EU member one day," the Serbian president was quoted as saying, adding that this was important not only for her own citizens, but for all EU members. Tadic added that he greatly admired Poland's success in gaining EU and NATO membership. The president said that his attendance at the commemoration for the World War I armistice and the celebrations of the 90th anniversary of Poland's independence was an expression of the respect of Serbia and her people for Poland and the Polish people. He said that Serbia had been among the victors of World War I, that it had liberated its territory from occupiers and celebrated victory with other countries. Tadic called for economic cooperation between Serbia and Poland to be stepped up. The Serbian president also invited Kacyznsky to visit Belgrade. Unlike the Polish government that recognized Kosovo’s unilateral independence on February 26, the Polish president has always publicly condemned and opposed that move. Tadic has used the trip to Warsaw to hold a series of brief informal conversations with the assembled international officials: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, Ukraine’s Viktor Yushchenko and Afghanistan’s Hamid Kharzai. Of leaders from the region, he has met with Chairman of the Bosnian Presidency Nebojsa Radmanovic and Croatian President Stjepan Mesic. 16 leaders gathered in Warsaw on Tuesday (Tanjug)

Tadić: No changes to EULEX deal

“Every change in the agreement Serbia has reached with the UN on the reconfiguration of the civil mission is unacceptable, regardless of Priština's expectations,” Tadić said at a news conference he held together with his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynsky in Warsaw.

He reiterated Serbia's stand that EULEX is welcome in Kosovo only if the mission respects the principle of neutrality and if it comes approved by the UN Security Council.

The Serbian and Polish agreed that Serbia's place is in the European Union, but Tadić underscored that, despite this strategic goal, "our country would not give up the preservation of Kosovo and Metohija within her borders".

Tadić, together with 15 other heads of state and government, is in Warsaw for celebrations marking the 90th anniversary of the country’s independence.

The Polish president has taken advantage of the presence of senior officials at the festivities to reiterate Warsaw’s firm support for expanding the EU towards the Western Balkans.

"Serbia deserves EU membership, all the more so given her difficult history," Kaczynsky told journalists at a joint press conference with Tadić in Warsaw, Polish media report.

"Serbia must become an EU member one day," the Serbian president was quoted as saying, adding that this was important not only for her own citizens, but for all EU members.

Tadić added that he greatly admired Poland's success in gaining EU and NATO membership.

The president said that his attendance at the commemoration for the World War I armistice and the celebrations of the 90th anniversary of Poland's independence was an expression of the respect of Serbia and her people for Poland and the Polish people.

He said that Serbia had been among the victors of World War I, that it had liberated its territory from occupiers and celebrated victory with other countries.

Tadić called for economic cooperation between Serbia and Poland to be stepped up.

The Serbian president also invited Kacyznsky to visit Belgrade.

Unlike the Polish government that recognized Kosovo’s unilateral independence on February 26, the Polish president has always publicly condemned and opposed that move.

Tadić has used the trip to Warsaw to hold a series of brief informal conversations with the assembled international officials: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, Ukraine’s Viktor Yushchenko and Afghanistan’s Hamid Kharzai.

Of leaders from the region, he has met with Chairman of the Bosnian Presidency Nebojša Radmanović and Croatian President Stjepan Mesić.