High ranking Democrat: Borders change

Dragoljub Micunovic says Serbia today has a European perspective, where internal reforms matter. "The process of integration itself is important, the process of our internal reforms, to adjust our laws and standards to the European, to become a legally arranged state, with stable institutions, credible in an economic and political sense," the president of the Democratic Party (DS) political council told Politika newspaper. High ranking Democrat: Borders change The high ranking official from President Boris Tadic's party added that "only in this way we can and should join the EU", and advised against "putting our own conditions" to the EU countries about the recognition of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. "If we make a condition to the EU countries that they must renounce their recognition of Kosovo's independence, then we are depriving ourselves in the long-term not only of a European perspective, but also of reforms, development and modernization," Micunovic was quoted. Adding that there is "still potential to negotiate and reformulate the status either of a part or the whole of Kosovo", Micunovic said that "the EU association process does not last a day, rather the whole next decade will be needed to become a member". "Why would we stop the process of integrations now. The question of Kosovo's recognition [by Belgrade] should be left aside, since no one is asking us to do that and perhaps won't ask us in ten more years. Why must we swear about how we will react and what will happen in ten years," he wondered. Micunovic then went on to tell the daily that "borders change, while life cannot be replaced by another". "We must think in a process manner and imagine what will be in 15, 20 years, where we will be then. Are we really that dramatically linked with the only possible destiny, however unjust it may be," the veteran politician said. "Who's to say that in 20 years Europe will have borders like this, or that it will have borders at all. I can believe that due to the globalization, borders will not have the meaning they had in the 19th and 20th century," Micunovic. Dragoljub Micunovic (FoNet, archive)

High ranking Democrat: Borders change

The high ranking official from President Boris Tadić's party added that "only in this way we can and should join the EU", and advised against "putting our own conditions" to the EU countries about the recognition of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.

"If we make a condition to the EU countries that they must renounce their recognition of Kosovo's independence, then we are depriving ourselves in the long-term not only of a European perspective, but also of reforms, development and modernization," Mićunović was quoted.

Adding that there is "still potential to negotiate and reformulate the status either of a part or the whole of Kosovo", Mićunović said that "the EU association process does not last a day, rather the whole next decade will be needed to become a member".

"Why would we stop the process of integrations now. The question of Kosovo's recognition [by Belgrade] should be left aside, since no one is asking us to do that and perhaps won't ask us in ten more years. Why must we swear about how we will react and what will happen in ten years," he wondered.

Mićunović then went on to tell the daily that "borders change, while life cannot be replaced by another".

"We must think in a process manner and imagine what will be in 15, 20 years, where we will be then. Are we really that dramatically linked with the only possible destiny, however unjust it may be," the veteran politician said.

"Who's to say that in 20 years Europe will have borders like this, or that it will have borders at all. I can believe that due to the globalization, borders will not have the meaning they had in the 19th and 20th century," Mićunović.