Jeremić: Serbia's democratic survival at stake

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic was on an official visit to London on Monday. Jeremic said that Great Britain’s potential decision to recognize a unilateral Kosovo declaration of independence and approve the forcible division of Serbia would destroy the trust of the Serbian people in democracy and its values. Jeremic: Serbia's democratic survival at stake "That would be a big blow, which we would not recover from easily," said Jeremic in his address to the British Parliament's House of Commons. "I would like to appeal to your sense of fair play and your sense of honor. Our country is, just like yours, an ancient country with ancient beliefs, while Kosovo is the cradle of our civilization," said Jeremic. He urged British MPs to help reach a compromise solution that, as he said, would preserve Serbia's sovereignty and give the Kosovo Albanians a real opportunity to manage their own affairs. "Imposing a solution that would harm the democratic survival of one side would affect the future of the region as a whole," said Jeremic. “Serbia is offering the Kosovo Albanians a fair and just compromise that will help the integration of the region as a whole in Europe,” said Jeremic, adding that the offer was favorable to the development of the province and would strengthen the democratic values of all regional actors. "We are offering a unique partnership under a common sovereignty roof: institutionally unlimited autonomy with exceptionally broad powers of self-government, and also an autonomy that, at the same time, would preserve our sovereignty and territorial integrity," underlined Jeremic. The foreign minister warned that statements claiming that Kosovo independence would be imposed if no agreement was reached by December 10 had brought the talks to an impasse, because such a strict timeframe favored the interests of only one side – namely, the Kosovo Albanians. "The way out of the crisis is to view December 10 as a deadline for a progress evaluation nothing more. A redefinition of the importance of that date may, for the first time, create an appropriate climate for finding a historic solution, because it would give a symmetrical impulse to both sides to find a compromise and mutually acceptable solution, which would be in the spirit of Europe and of the 21st century," said Jeremic. "Finding a negotiated solution would prevent doubts being cast on the essential principle of the international system established in Europe through the Helsiniki Final Act, by setting a precedent that would allow the division of any country against its will," said Jeremic. "Let us not delude ourselves, Kosovo independence is nothing more than the forcible division of Serbia," stressed Jeremic, cautioning that there were dozens of regions like Kosovo throughout the world that were waiting for Kosovo's secession to gain legitimacy. "Existing conflicts across the world could escalate, frozen conflicts could be activated and new ones inspired," he concluded. Vuk Jeremic (Tanjug)

Jeremić: Serbia's democratic survival at stake

"That would be a big blow, which we would not recover from easily," said Jeremić in his address to the British Parliament's House of Commons.

"I would like to appeal to your sense of fair play and your sense of honor. Our country is, just like yours, an ancient country with ancient beliefs, while Kosovo is the cradle of our civilization," said Jeremić.

He urged British MPs to help reach a compromise solution that, as he said, would preserve Serbia's sovereignty and give the Kosovo Albanians a real opportunity to manage their own affairs.

"Imposing a solution that would harm the democratic survival of one side would affect the future of the region as a whole," said Jeremić.

“Serbia is offering the Kosovo Albanians a fair and just compromise that will help the integration of the region as a whole in Europe,” said Jeremić, adding that the offer was favorable to the development of the province and would strengthen the democratic values of all regional actors.

"We are offering a unique partnership under a common sovereignty roof: institutionally unlimited autonomy with exceptionally broad powers of self-government, and also an autonomy that, at the same time, would preserve our sovereignty and territorial integrity," underlined Jeremić.

The foreign minister warned that statements claiming that Kosovo independence would be imposed if no agreement was reached by December 10 had brought the talks to an impasse, because such a strict timeframe favored the interests of only one side – namely, the Kosovo Albanians.

"The way out of the crisis is to view December 10 as a deadline for a progress evaluation nothing more. A redefinition of the importance of that date may, for the first time, create an appropriate climate for finding a historic solution, because it would give a symmetrical impulse to both sides to find a compromise and mutually acceptable solution, which would be in the spirit of Europe and of the 21st century," said Jeremić.

"Finding a negotiated solution would prevent doubts being cast on the essential principle of the international system established in Europe through the Helsiniki Final Act, by setting a precedent that would allow the division of any country against its will," said Jeremić.

"Let us not delude ourselves, Kosovo independence is nothing more than the forcible division of Serbia," stressed Jeremić, cautioning that there were dozens of regions like Kosovo throughout the world that were waiting for Kosovo's secession to gain legitimacy. "Existing conflicts across the world could escalate, frozen conflicts could be activated and new ones inspired," he concluded.