“Belgrade ready to continue talks, won’t accept blackmail”

BELGRADE Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo Director Aleksandar Vulin has stated that Belgrade is ready to continue the dialogue with Pristina. He added, however, that Serbia would not accept any blackmails. “Belgrade ready to continue talks, won’t accept blackmail” Vulin told Beta news agency that Belgrade believed that it would be the best if the UN became involved in the process. “I believe that it would be good if the UN was involved but that depends on the UN Security Council’s decision, Brussels and not just on Serbia. We believe that the negotiations would be far faster and more successful if the UN used its authority,” he said and explained that the initiative would not stoke a conflict between Serbia and the EU and the U.S. When asked what he would do if the UN did not take part in the dialogue, Vulin said that “Belgrade will attend all talks”. “As far as we are concerned, the negotiations are the only solution,” he added. According to him, Serbia wants the dialogue to be on a higher political level, which could only be a positive sign to the international community and to citizens in Kosovo that Belgrade seriously wants to solve the issues in the province. Vulin added that it needed to be clear that the Serbian representatives would not meet with “representatives of the state of Kosovo” because “it does not even exist” but that they would meet with legitimate representatives of the Kosovo Albanians. “The Serbian president will not meet with the Kosovo president. The Serbian president can meet with legitimate representatives of the Kosovo Albanians when conditions are fulfilled, but they still have not,” the Office for Kosovo head pointed out. He added that Belgrade could not talk with Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci until allegations that he had been involved in the human organ trafficking and other crimes against Serbs and other citizens of Kosovo were fully investigated. “Belgrade cannot talk to a man who is banned from entering half of the EU member states,” Vulin noted. When asked if there was a point of holding the talks since Thaci said that only relations between two independent countries could be discussed, he said that influential representatives of the international community should explain to Pristina that the “dialogue is not a monologue”. “The process is taking too long, it is not giving big results so we should find a way to speed it up and get better results. Why would we keep the UN outside the negotiating process when it is an organization that was strong enough to tell the truth about the events in Kosovo. Besides, that is something that is closest to the status neutrality, this is also a position of the EU, whose mission EULEX is status neutral,” he said. According to Vulin, it is necessary to reach a consensus on Kosovo in Serbia. He explained that all major parties in Serbia were against Kosovo’s independence but that their “resistance mechanisms” were different. “Let us try to harmonize those mechanisms. The consensus needs to belong to all citizens and parties, something that will not change in the future period. This will be our strategy for Kosovo and Metohija, the way Serbia sees the problem, and a clear decision what our red lines are. This will be a message how far this government and all future governments are ready to go,” Vulin concluded. Aleksandar Vulin (Beta, file) Beta

“Belgrade ready to continue talks, won’t accept blackmail”

Vulin told Beta news agency that Belgrade believed that it would be the best if the UN became involved in the process.

“I believe that it would be good if the UN was involved but that depends on the UN Security Council’s decision, Brussels and not just on Serbia. We believe that the negotiations would be far faster and more successful if the UN used its authority,” he said and explained that the initiative would not stoke a conflict between Serbia and the EU and the U.S.

When asked what he would do if the UN did not take part in the dialogue, Vulin said that “Belgrade will attend all talks”.

“As far as we are concerned, the negotiations are the only solution,” he added.

According to him, Serbia wants the dialogue to be on a higher political level, which could only be a positive sign to the international community and to citizens in Kosovo that Belgrade seriously wants to solve the issues in the province.

Vulin added that it needed to be clear that the Serbian representatives would not meet with “representatives of the state of Kosovo” because “it does not even exist” but that they would meet with legitimate representatives of the Kosovo Albanians.

“The Serbian president will not meet with the Kosovo president. The Serbian president can meet with legitimate representatives of the Kosovo Albanians when conditions are fulfilled, but they still have not,” the Office for Kosovo head pointed out.

He added that Belgrade could not talk with Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci until allegations that he had been involved in the human organ trafficking and other crimes against Serbs and other citizens of Kosovo were fully investigated.

“Belgrade cannot talk to a man who is banned from entering half of the EU member states,” Vulin noted.

When asked if there was a point of holding the talks since Thaci said that only relations between two independent countries could be discussed, he said that influential representatives of the international community should explain to Priština that the “dialogue is not a monologue”.

“The process is taking too long, it is not giving big results so we should find a way to speed it up and get better results. Why would we keep the UN outside the negotiating process when it is an organization that was strong enough to tell the truth about the events in Kosovo. Besides, that is something that is closest to the status neutrality, this is also a position of the EU, whose mission EULEX is status neutral,” he said.

According to Vulin, it is necessary to reach a consensus on Kosovo in Serbia. He explained that all major parties in Serbia were against Kosovo’s independence but that their “resistance mechanisms” were different.

“Let us try to harmonize those mechanisms. The consensus needs to belong to all citizens and parties, something that will not change in the future period. This will be our strategy for Kosovo and Metohija, the way Serbia sees the problem, and a clear decision what our red lines are. This will be a message how far this government and all future governments are ready to go,” Vulin concluded.