LDP requests parliament session on Kosovo

Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) leader Cedomir Jovanovic has called for a parliament session on the change of the state policy. This should come ahead of the debate on Serbia’s draft resolution in the UN General Assembly, according to him. LDP requests parliament session on Kosovo Jovanovic said today in Belgrade that his party would request the foreign minister’s resignation if the parliament session is not held by September 9. “A serious and responsible debate in parliament is necessary before the UN General Assembly, and not after,” he said and added that a change of the state policy toward Kosovo should be discussed at the session. Quoting media reports that Serbian President Boris Tadic and German FM Guido Westerwelle had agreed that Serbia and the EU would jointly change the text of the resolution which Serbia had submitted to the UN, Jovanovic said that the president should explain to the citizens and political parties “confusing information” about Serbia’s readiness to change the text. “Instead of defending the territorial integrity we should fight for the rights of Serbs in Kosovo. We should request admission to NATO and speeding up of European integrations and a perspective for Kosovo’s membership in the EU and NATO should be opened up,” said the LDP leader. Jovanovic also criticized the government’s policy toward Kosovo, calling it “hypocritical and calculated”. He said that LDP insists on a dialogue which would give Serbia the opportunity to lead a different policy, establish normal relations with the EU and U.S. and a normal life in which problems will be solved with the help of friends. Jovanovic assessed that in the Thursday talks with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle the Serbian officials "missed the great opportunity to voice the truth clearly" and did not mention "any precise stands or moves". Meanwhile, opposition SNS said that they too were interested in a Kosovo debate in the Serbian parliament, but that the initiative for such a meeting should come from the ruling majority. SNS deputy leader Aleksandar Vucic said today in Belgrade that there are hints authorities in Belgrade are ready to concessions when it comes to their Kosovo draft, and that they would then justify such a move by saying they "allegedly received guarantees that Serbs in the north of the province will not be attacked". Cedomir Jovanovic (Tanjug, file)

LDP requests parliament session on Kosovo

Jovanović said today in Belgrade that his party would request the foreign minister’s resignation if the parliament session is not held by September 9.

“A serious and responsible debate in parliament is necessary before the UN General Assembly, and not after,” he said and added that a change of the state policy toward Kosovo should be discussed at the session.

Quoting media reports that Serbian President Boris Tadić and German FM Guido Westerwelle had agreed that Serbia and the EU would jointly change the text of the resolution which Serbia had submitted to the UN, Jovanović said that the president should explain to the citizens and political parties “confusing information” about Serbia’s readiness to change the text.

“Instead of defending the territorial integrity we should fight for the rights of Serbs in Kosovo. We should request admission to NATO and speeding up of European integrations and a perspective for Kosovo’s membership in the EU and NATO should be opened up,” said the LDP leader.

Jovanović also criticized the government’s policy toward Kosovo, calling it “hypocritical and calculated”.

He said that LDP insists on a dialogue which would give Serbia the opportunity to lead a different policy, establish normal relations with the EU and U.S. and a normal life in which problems will be solved with the help of friends.

Jovanović assessed that in the Thursday talks with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle the Serbian officials "missed the great opportunity to voice the truth clearly" and did not mention "any precise stands or moves".

Meanwhile, opposition SNS said that they too were interested in a Kosovo debate in the Serbian parliament, but that the initiative for such a meeting should come from the ruling majority.

SNS deputy leader Aleksandar Vučić said today in Belgrade that there are hints authorities in Belgrade are ready to concessions when it comes to their Kosovo draft, and that they would then justify such a move by saying they "allegedly received guarantees that Serbs in the north of the province will not be attacked".