Belgrade team head: Serbia will protect its interests

Serbia is prepared to protect its interest, head of the Belgrade negotiating team Borislav Stefanovic has stated. He added that the country would stay calm while under pressure from groups that said that it had to recognize Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence in order to join the EU. Belgrade team head: Serbia will protect its interests "There is pressure from some circles, saying that we will have to recognize Kosovo if we desire EU membership but that is a part of the process, which we do not view with anxiety, but are fully prepared to protect our interest," he told Palma Plus TV. He said that Kosovo's recognition on one side and EU candidacy and the start date for the accession negotiations on the other were two separate processes. "We will never recognize Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence. The talks with Pristina are not a confirmation of Kosovo's independence, nor do they have anything to do with good cooperation with neighbors," Stefanovic stressed. “The dialogue with Pristina is not there because Belgrade was forced to it but because Serbia itself decided to do it thinking that status quo cannot be sustained,” he explained. “There is no preferred side in the talks with Pristina, no one is twisting our arm, no one is blackmailing us but, of course, they are watching closely how constructive we are, and we have proved that we are," the Belgrade team chief remarked. He stated that the issues regarding the Kosovo cadastre, general register, freedom of movement, telecommunications and electrical power should be settled soon. Borislav Stefanovic (Tanjug, file)

Belgrade team head: Serbia will protect its interests

"There is pressure from some circles, saying that we will have to recognize Kosovo if we desire EU membership but that is a part of the process, which we do not view with anxiety, but are fully prepared to protect our interest," he told Palma Plus TV.

He said that Kosovo's recognition on one side and EU candidacy and the start date for the accession negotiations on the other were two separate processes.

"We will never recognize Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence. The talks with Priština are not a confirmation of Kosovo's independence, nor do they have anything to do with good cooperation with neighbors," Stefanović stressed.

“The dialogue with Priština is not there because Belgrade was forced to it but because Serbia itself decided to do it thinking that status quo cannot be sustained,” he explained.

“There is no preferred side in the talks with Priština, no one is twisting our arm, no one is blackmailing us but, of course, they are watching closely how constructive we are, and we have proved that we are," the Belgrade team chief remarked.

He stated that the issues regarding the Kosovo cadastre, general register, freedom of movement, telecommunications and electrical power should be settled soon.