Kosovo Serbs divided over Security Council session

There have been contrasting reactions from Kosovo Serb representatives to President Boris Tadic’s address to the UN Security Council session. “We were encouraged by Belgrade taking such a position, and we expect such policies to continue after May 11. Because Kosovo can only defend itself through such principled positions, and peaceful and democratic means,” he stressed. Kosovo Serbs divided over Security Council session The President of the Democratic Party’s committee for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic told the Tanjug agency that Serbs from the region had been encouraged by Tadic’s speech at the UN Security Council last night. Bogdanovic, who also was a member of the Serbian negotiating team, expressed his expectation that the UN Security Council would decide on or recommend a resumption of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina over the province’s status. “That is the only way to come to a solution that will satisfy both sides. I don’t think this situation, this stalemate, suits anyone, and I expect international law, legislation and the respect for fundamental human rights that are regrettably being violated today in Kosovo, to triumph in the end,” he added. President of the Community of Serb Municipalities and Enclaves in Kosovo Marko Jaksic told Tanjug that after last night’s UN Security Council session he was especially pleased by the firm position the Russian Federation had taken over the Kosovo crisis. “Sadly, the majority of EU member-states and the U.S. continue to insist that Kosovo is a separate state. We must once again stress our ardent support for Russia and the Russian Federation who fully advocate the respect of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1244, under which UNMIK must continue its work, and where there is no place for EULEX,” he said. Jaksic, who was also a member of the Serbian negotiating team, said that the sole aim of Tadic’s speech had been to “score points” in the election campaign. Vice-President of the Serb National Council for Central Kosovo Rada Trajkovic told Tanjug that while the Serbs did not consider Kosovo’s independence declaration in the slightest bit relevant, the situation on the ground in regards to that independence was rather different. “Sadly, states recognizing that independence, while not being numerically high, are very important states, qualitatively speaking, which is proven by the invitation Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci received to attend the UN Security Council session, even if it was only behind closed doors. He still had the opportunity to speak to the Security Council for the first time, which means that the Council, as an institution, ‘acknowledged’ his position as prime minister, and in some way also, the status of Kosovo,” she pointed out. Trajkovic stressed that President Tadic’s speech represented the expression of Belgrade’s united policy, and in that sense expressed the expectation that the Serb question in Kosovo could be solved through new dialogue and negotiations between Belgrade and the Kosovo Serbs and Albanians.

Kosovo Serbs divided over Security Council session

The President of the Democratic Party’s committee for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović told the Tanjug agency that Serbs from the region had been encouraged by Tadić’s speech at the UN Security Council last night.

Bogdanović, who also was a member of the Serbian negotiating team, expressed his expectation that the UN Security Council would decide on or recommend a resumption of negotiations between Belgrade and Priština over the province’s status.

“That is the only way to come to a solution that will satisfy both sides. I don’t think this situation, this stalemate, suits anyone, and I expect international law, legislation and the respect for fundamental human rights that are regrettably being violated today in Kosovo, to triumph in the end,” he added.

President of the Community of Serb Municipalities and Enclaves in Kosovo Marko Jakšić told Tanjug that after last night’s UN Security Council session he was especially pleased by the firm position the Russian Federation had taken over the Kosovo crisis.

“Sadly, the majority of EU member-states and the U.S. continue to insist that Kosovo is a separate state. We must once again stress our ardent support for Russia and the Russian Federation who fully advocate the respect of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1244, under which UNMIK must continue its work, and where there is no place for EULEX,” he said.

Jakšić, who was also a member of the Serbian negotiating team, said that the sole aim of Tadić’s speech had been to “score points” in the election campaign.

Vice-President of the Serb National Council for Central Kosovo Rada Trajković told Tanjug that while the Serbs did not consider Kosovo’s independence declaration in the slightest bit relevant, the situation on the ground in regards to that independence was rather different.

“Sadly, states recognizing that independence, while not being numerically high, are very important states, qualitatively speaking, which is proven by the invitation Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci received to attend the UN Security Council session, even if it was only behind closed doors. He still had the opportunity to speak to the Security Council for the first time, which means that the Council, as an institution, ‘acknowledged’ his position as prime minister, and in some way also, the status of Kosovo,” she pointed out.

Trajković stressed that President Tadić’s speech represented the expression of Belgrade’s united policy, and in that sense expressed the expectation that the Serb question in Kosovo could be solved through new dialogue and negotiations between Belgrade and the Kosovo Serbs and Albanians.