“Govt. uses EU as excuse for Kosovo policy”

BELGRADE Democratic Party of Serbia deputy leader Slobodan Samardzic says the government is using “an illusion of the EU accession” as an excuse for the Kosovo policy. He assessed that “it absolutely makes no sense anymore”. “Govt. uses EU as excuse for Kosovo policy” “Not only that the EU is asking Serbia to recognize Kosovo but the EU cannot offer much to Serbia when it comes to the benefits of the Stabilization and Association Agreement. We have already criticized it in the policy of the previous government and it looks to me that we will have to continue because this government continues this kind of policy,” Samardzic told Beta news agency. He added that he saw more continuity than discontinuity in the government’s Kosovo policy but that he could not say what the policy would be like since there was no strategic or any other document that could show this. “There are statements that they are planning on doing differently than the previous government and on the other hand there are statements that they will implement the agreements reached in Brussels and that they will continue negotiations on the remaining issues. If the ‘implement and continue’ policy continues, that it is a continuity with the previous government with the same explanation that it is being done for the sake of Serbia’s EU accession,” the DSS official pointed out. He said that Deputy PM for EU Integration Suzana Grubjesic’s visit to Brussels and the announced visit of PM Ivica Dacic reminded him of “pressures and blackmails that Serbia has been facing”. When asked why the new government kept repeating that Serbia would never recognize Kosovo even though Dacic said earlier that such statements were “empty words”, Samardzic that the repeating of the statement was alarming because “those are only empty words” but that Serbia had not been formally asked to recognize Kosovo. “Those statements are meaningless and the alpha and omega is not to listen what someone says but what they do. Our politicians are trying to explain to citizens that there is no problem because they (the EU) are saying that Serbia does not have to recognize Kosovo,” he said. The DSS deputy leader, however, stressed that the EU was pressuring Serbia into accepting Kosovo Albanian documents, creating a “normal border” between Serbia and Kosovo and accepting Kosovo Supreme Court’s decision on cadastre issues. He added that Serbia was also pressured to accept the southern province in the international and regional meetings and the dialogue under the name of Kosovo. “The acceptance will represent a defeat because Kosovo used to attend the international meetings under the name UNMIK Kosovo which is in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” Samardzic concluded. Slobodan Samardzic (FoNet, file) Beta

“Govt. uses EU as excuse for Kosovo policy”

“Not only that the EU is asking Serbia to recognize Kosovo but the EU cannot offer much to Serbia when it comes to the benefits of the Stabilization and Association Agreement. We have already criticized it in the policy of the previous government and it looks to me that we will have to continue because this government continues this kind of policy,” Samardžić told Beta news agency.

He added that he saw more continuity than discontinuity in the government’s Kosovo policy but that he could not say what the policy would be like since there was no strategic or any other document that could show this.

“There are statements that they are planning on doing differently than the previous government and on the other hand there are statements that they will implement the agreements reached in Brussels and that they will continue negotiations on the remaining issues. If the ‘implement and continue’ policy continues, that it is a continuity with the previous government with the same explanation that it is being done for the sake of Serbia’s EU accession,” the DSS official pointed out.

He said that Deputy PM for EU Integration Suzana Grubješić’s visit to Brussels and the announced visit of PM Ivica Dačić reminded him of “pressures and blackmails that Serbia has been facing”.

When asked why the new government kept repeating that Serbia would never recognize Kosovo even though Dačić said earlier that such statements were “empty words”, Samardžić that the repeating of the statement was alarming because “those are only empty words” but that Serbia had not been formally asked to recognize Kosovo.

“Those statements are meaningless and the alpha and omega is not to listen what someone says but what they do. Our politicians are trying to explain to citizens that there is no problem because they (the EU) are saying that Serbia does not have to recognize Kosovo,” he said.

The DSS deputy leader, however, stressed that the EU was pressuring Serbia into accepting Kosovo Albanian documents, creating a “normal border” between Serbia and Kosovo and accepting Kosovo Supreme Court’s decision on cadastre issues.

He added that Serbia was also pressured to accept the southern province in the international and regional meetings and the dialogue under the name of Kosovo.

“The acceptance will represent a defeat because Kosovo used to attend the international meetings under the name UNMIK Kosovo which is in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” Samardžić concluded.