“Difference of opinions on NATO won’t hurt coalition”

Daily Vecernje novosti states that the ruling coalition is sure that differences in opinion regarding NATO will not cause a rift in the coalition. The state policy regarding Serbia’s military neutrality is not expected to change, despite the initiative of G17 Plus and SPO for reevaluating the situation. “Difference of opinions on NATO won’t hurt coalition” While coalition members DS and SPS support remaining militarily neutral, G17 Plus and SPO believe that it would be better for Serbia to join the most power military alliance in the world, NATO. Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) leader Vuk Draskovic said that he does not believe that there will be new talks on Kosovo’s status after the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of Kosovo’s unilaterally proclaimed independence is given, even though the leading parties and officials of the ruling coalition are hoping for that. Ruling coalition officials stated that it is normal to have differences in opinion within the coalition, and that they would not lead to problems. “We are just stating that military neutrality was proclaimed with one paragraph in the parliamentary resolution on Kosovo and that we did not ask of any country to recognize that neutrality. Euro-Atlantic integrations are essentially connected and Serbia needs to ask for a place in both the EU and NATO. Of course, the citizens would decide on it by way of a referendum,” sources from SPO told the daily. The party claims that there are no essential differences between the party and the Democratic Party (DS) regarding Euro-Atlantic integration, but that it is natural to have differences in opinion. ‘We support, as always, decisive and quick moves, at the price of risking losing some voters. We believe that our coalition has the most to risk by avoiding to take risks. We cannot at the same time be decisive on the process of European integration and to cater to the anti-European stances that many citizens have,” Draskovic said. The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) states that Serbia is a militarily neutral country and that a referendum should not be the only way of deciding on NATO membership. “The demand of G17 and SPO for abolishing military neutrality has the goal of gaining political points and does not represent state policies. The topic of Serbia’s entrance into NATO has not matured, and the citizens cannot decide on it in a qualified majority,” SPS official Branko Ruzic said. DS states that the ruling coalition is stable and that it is normal for each party to have its own policies. “The stance of DS is that the Partnership for Peace is good enough of a foundation for maximum cooperation with NATO. Serbia defined itself as being militarily neutral in 2007, and that position will not change until the end of the government’s mandate. The fact is that within the circumstances of contemporary security challenges, we must not stay isolated,” DS official Konstantin Samofalov said. (Tanjug archive)

“Difference of opinions on NATO won’t hurt coalition”

While coalition members DS and SPS support remaining militarily neutral, G17 Plus and SPO believe that it would be better for Serbia to join the most power military alliance in the world, NATO.

Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) leader Vuk Drašković said that he does not believe that there will be new talks on Kosovo’s status after the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of Kosovo’s unilaterally proclaimed independence is given, even though the leading parties and officials of the ruling coalition are hoping for that.

Ruling coalition officials stated that it is normal to have differences in opinion within the coalition, and that they would not lead to problems.

“We are just stating that military neutrality was proclaimed with one paragraph in the parliamentary resolution on Kosovo and that we did not ask of any country to recognize that neutrality. Euro-Atlantic integrations are essentially connected and Serbia needs to ask for a place in both the EU and NATO. Of course, the citizens would decide on it by way of a referendum,” sources from SPO told the daily.

The party claims that there are no essential differences between the party and the Democratic Party (DS) regarding Euro-Atlantic integration, but that it is natural to have differences in opinion.

‘We support, as always, decisive and quick moves, at the price of risking losing some voters. We believe that our coalition has the most to risk by avoiding to take risks. We cannot at the same time be decisive on the process of European integration and to cater to the anti-European stances that many citizens have,” Drašković said.

The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) states that Serbia is a militarily neutral country and that a referendum should not be the only way of deciding on NATO membership.

“The demand of G17 and SPO for abolishing military neutrality has the goal of gaining political points and does not represent state policies. The topic of Serbia’s entrance into NATO has not matured, and the citizens cannot decide on it in a qualified majority,” SPS official Branko Ružić said.

DS states that the ruling coalition is stable and that it is normal for each party to have its own policies.

“The stance of DS is that the Partnership for Peace is good enough of a foundation for maximum cooperation with NATO. Serbia defined itself as being militarily neutral in 2007, and that position will not change until the end of the government’s mandate. The fact is that within the circumstances of contemporary security challenges, we must not stay isolated,” DS official Konstantin Samofalov said.