"Kosovo no longer venue for Serbian elections"

The Kosovo president says the time when Kosovo was a Serbian election base "had passed for once and for all", and Belgrade officials should realize this. “Kosovo is an independent and sovereign, internationally recognized state. According to the dual citizenship principle, Kosovo Serbs who want to be Serbian citizens as well can vote for Serbian authorities,” Fatmir Sejdiu told deputies in the Kosovo assembly. "Kosovo no longer venue for Serbian elections" Addressing Kosovo residents of Serb nationality, Sejdiu said: “Kosovo is our common state, of all of us without any differences.” “We call on Kosovo citizens to be official actors in the institutional life of Kosovo,” the Kosovo president said. “A number of our citizens have awaited Kosovo independence with anxiety, as part of the systematic indoctrination, influence and pressure coming from Serbia, from its political and religious elite. The last two months have proven that such anxiety is not justified. In Kosovo, there is room for all its citizens,” said Sejdiu. He stated that the time one nation dominated over another had passed, because there is “freedom for everybody in Kosovo.” The Kosovo president, who today submitted his annual report on the activities and coming tasks of the presidential institutions in Kosovo, said that in addition to his cabinet a Consultation Council for Communities would be created that would be under his control. “I plan to quickly prepare the organizational core of that Council, which will start to function at full capacity once the Kosovo Constitution has come into force,” explained Sejdiu. He also declared that Kosovo independence was the political expression of the Kosovo citizens’ will. The president said that Kosovo independence had been declared after a long international process of status determination, according to the political will of the majority of Kosovo citizens and the recommendations of the international negotiator for Kosovo’s status, Marti Ahtisaari. “Kosovo independence was declared in coordination with our international friends and Kosovo allies, primarily the EU and the U.S.,” stated Sejdiu. “The Republic of Kosovo is widely accepted by the democratic world. 37 countries have accepted its independence, including seven of the eight G8 countries. Our country expects recognition from a lot more countries round the world,” said Sejdiu, adding that Kosovo’s integration in Euro-Atlantic structures was the biggest priority. “To be accepted by EU and NATO, we need to be recognized by all the members of those institutions and fulfill all the necessary conditions. That will take time, but our goal is of vital importance,” said the Kosovo president. He claimed that Kosovo was interested in good relations with all countries, "especially with its neighbors" – Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia. The Kosovo president said that he was now responsible before the Kosovo institutions for the “country’s” further development. “The natural richness and our young population are the potentials for long-lasting development. That is only possibly when we have a sovereign and not just provisional government." "With a provisional government, without a set status, there can be no true social or economic development,” said Sejdiu, pointing to the fact that this had been proven by what had happened in Kosovo over the last few decades. Sejdiu said that the priorities lay in economic activities—short-term as well as long-term—energy and agriculture. He also talked about the "coming tasks in the fields of the rule of law, security and foreign policy". Fatmir Sejdiu (FoNet, archive)

"Kosovo no longer venue for Serbian elections"

Addressing Kosovo residents of Serb nationality, Sejdiu said: “Kosovo is our common state, of all of us without any differences.”

“We call on Kosovo citizens to be official actors in the institutional life of Kosovo,” the Kosovo president said.

“A number of our citizens have awaited Kosovo independence with anxiety, as part of the systematic indoctrination, influence and pressure coming from Serbia, from its political and religious elite. The last two months have proven that such anxiety is not justified. In Kosovo, there is room for all its citizens,” said Sejdiu.

He stated that the time one nation dominated over another had passed, because there is “freedom for everybody in Kosovo.”

The Kosovo president, who today submitted his annual report on the activities and coming tasks of the presidential institutions in Kosovo, said that in addition to his cabinet a Consultation Council for Communities would be created that would be under his control.

“I plan to quickly prepare the organizational core of that Council, which will start to function at full capacity once the Kosovo Constitution has come into force,” explained Sejdiu.

He also declared that Kosovo independence was the political expression of the Kosovo citizens’ will.

The president said that Kosovo independence had been declared after a long international process of status determination, according to the political will of the majority of Kosovo citizens and the recommendations of the international negotiator for Kosovo’s status, Marti Ahtisaari.

“Kosovo independence was declared in coordination with our international friends and Kosovo allies, primarily the EU and the U.S.,” stated Sejdiu.

“The Republic of Kosovo is widely accepted by the democratic world. 37 countries have accepted its independence, including seven of the eight G8 countries. Our country expects recognition from a lot more countries round the world,” said Sejdiu, adding that Kosovo’s integration in Euro-Atlantic structures was the biggest priority.

“To be accepted by EU and NATO, we need to be recognized by all the members of those institutions and fulfill all the necessary conditions. That will take time, but our goal is of vital importance,” said the Kosovo president.

He claimed that Kosovo was interested in good relations with all countries, "especially with its neighbors" – Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia.

The Kosovo president said that he was now responsible before the Kosovo institutions for the “country’s” further development.

“The natural richness and our young population are the potentials for long-lasting development. That is only possibly when we have a sovereign and not just provisional government."

"With a provisional government, without a set status, there can be no true social or economic development,” said Sejdiu, pointing to the fact that this had been proven by what had happened in Kosovo over the last few decades.

Sejdiu said that the priorities lay in economic activities—short-term as well as long-term—energy and agriculture.

He also talked about the "coming tasks in the fields of the rule of law, security and foreign policy".