Belgrade negotiator says president made "untrue claims"

BELGRADE Borislav Stefanovic says that Serbian President (Tomislav Nikolic) made "untrue claims" about the existence of hidden details in the Brussels agreements. The agreements in question relate to the ongoing, EU-sponsored Kosovo dialogue, to which the now outgoing government had appointed Stefanovic as its chief negotiator. Belgrade negotiator says president made "untrue claims" In an interview for the Vecernje Novosti daily, Nikolic said that it had been hidden from the public that "Albanians can have only the nameplate reading Kosovo with an asterisk, without the footnote (explaining its status), and that it was "a deception that Serbs in northern Kosovo and Metohija do not have to have license plates, while a condition for that is to registered as citizens of Kosovo". However, speaking for the Danas newspaper late on Thursday, Stefanovic - who is also a top Democratic Party (DS) official - stated: "I am waiting for them to make public the evidence that we undertook obligations for the state and the citizens of Serbia that are favoring Pristina. The government adopted the agreements reached with decrees and conclusions, and they represent Serbia's obligation. The agreements with Pristina are not inter-state, although Nikolic, as leader of the SNS, asked for them to be ratified in parliament. We avoided doing that because Kosovo is not a state." "If there is any contentious point, let Tomislav Nikolic and Ivica Dacic annul the signatures of (outgoing PM) Mirko Cvetkovic and that very same Ivica Dacic during the first session of the new government, and let them call us to face criminal responsibility," said Stefanovic. He went on to refer to the country's new ruling parties as "the red-and-black coalition", accusing them of "listening to interpretations coming from Pristina and Brussels in their desire to please the West", and added:: "We know what has been agreed and we presented it to the government, parliament, and the public. The government adopted it in the form of a conclusion, but the agreement on administrative crossings does not prejudice statehood. If they claim that this is not true, then the new government should urgently annul the agreements, and reach new ones with Pristina in the presence of the UN, as Nikolic has been announcing. It is clear that this is all about fairy-tales and illusions meant for the voters, although they promised the West that they would implement all agreement." Stefanovic also complained that "nobody from the SNS ever wished to speak to him", although he says he requested such meetings "many times", while after Nikolic was elected the country's new president he never received the invitation to the Presidency in his role as chief Belgrade negotiator - "not even to talk to the janitor there". Asked by the newspaper's reporter whether the best course of action would now be for the Constitutional Court of Serbia to assess all the agreements reached in the Kosovo dialogue, Stefanovic said he was "not against that", but added that "it would be best for the government to first annul all the previously reached decisions" - so that the Court could have "enough time to make its decision". Stefanovic further remarked that the Constitutional Court had become "highly expedient". Considering what he called "these new circumstances in the Serbian judiciary", the negotiator was unwilling to rule out the possibility that the authorities "would take that road". Borislav Stefanovic (Tanjug, file) Danas

Belgrade negotiator says president made "untrue claims"

In an interview for the Večernje Novosti daily, Nikolić said that it had been hidden from the public that "Albanians can have only the nameplate reading Kosovo with an asterisk, without the footnote (explaining its status), and that it was "a deception that Serbs in northern Kosovo and Metohija do not have to have license plates, while a condition for that is to registered as citizens of Kosovo".

However, speaking for the Danas newspaper late on Thursday, Stefanović - who is also a top Democratic Party (DS) official - stated:

"I am waiting for them to make public the evidence that we undertook obligations for the state and the citizens of Serbia that are favoring Priština. The government adopted the agreements reached with decrees and conclusions, and they represent Serbia's obligation. The agreements with Priština are not inter-state, although Nikolić, as leader of the SNS, asked for them to be ratified in parliament. We avoided doing that because Kosovo is not a state."

"If there is any contentious point, let Tomislav Nikolić and Ivica Dačić annul the signatures of (outgoing PM) Mirko Cvetković and that very same Ivica Dačić during the first session of the new government, and let them call us to face criminal responsibility," said Stefanović.

He went on to refer to the country's new ruling parties as "the red-and-black coalition", accusing them of "listening to interpretations coming from Priština and Brussels in their desire to please the West", and added::

"We know what has been agreed and we presented it to the government, parliament, and the public. The government adopted it in the form of a conclusion, but the agreement on administrative crossings does not prejudice statehood. If they claim that this is not true, then the new government should urgently annul the agreements, and reach new ones with Priština in the presence of the UN, as Nikolić has been announcing. It is clear that this is all about fairy-tales and illusions meant for the voters, although they promised the West that they would implement all agreement."

Stefanović also complained that "nobody from the SNS ever wished to speak to him", although he says he requested such meetings "many times", while after Nikolić was elected the country's new president he never received the invitation to the Presidency in his role as chief Belgrade negotiator - "not even to talk to the janitor there".

Asked by the newspaper's reporter whether the best course of action would now be for the Constitutional Court of Serbia to assess all the agreements reached in the Kosovo dialogue, Stefanović said he was "not against that", but added that "it would be best for the government to first annul all the previously reached decisions" - so that the Court could have "enough time to make its decision".

Stefanović further remarked that the Constitutional Court had become "highly expedient". Considering what he called "these new circumstances in the Serbian judiciary", the negotiator was unwilling to rule out the possibility that the authorities "would take that road".