Rehn: Good neighborly relations with Kosovo

Olli Rehn says that Serbia should try and establish good neighborly relations with Kosovo, and that it has European prospects.

Izvor: B92

Wednesday, 23.04.2008.

15:24

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Olli Rehn says that Serbia should try and establish good neighborly relations with Kosovo, and that it has European prospects. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica says that this is the EU’s official position. Rehn: Good neighborly relations with Kosovo Asked by German daily Kolnische Rundschau if Serbia could join the EU and not recognize Kosovo, the European commissioner said that all EU candidates “are bound to good neighborly relations.” Kostunica reacted to this by calling Rehn’s comments Brussels’ official position. “By signing Solana’s agreement, Serbia recognizes Kosovo’s independence, and commits to working with this false state,“ said the prime minister. In a statement to Tanjug, he stressed that since such an agreement with the EU was unconstitutional and contained a concealed plan to dismember Serbia, no-one had the right to sign it on Serbia’s behalf. Yesterday, in an interview with TV Studio B, Kostunica said that he did not question the need for European integration in any way, but that he could not simply ignore the fact that 17 EU member-states had recognized Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence. “Things that would be lost that way could never be regained, and as long as Serbia does not sign away a part of its territory, things are difficult but not lost,” underlined the prime minister. Commenting on the interpretation that Article 135 of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) guaranteed Serbia’s territorial integrity, he replied that by recognizing Kosovo's independence, those 17 EU members had rendered their signature on that agreement—and Article 135, in the process—null and void. "The moment France, Great Britain and others recognized Kosovo’s independence, that provision ceased to exist," said Kostunica. The prime minister also pointed out that despite a thirty-year-old territorial dispute, Cyprus had still been accepted into the EU as an intact entity, and that Serbia expected nothing less for itself. Olli Rehn (Tanjug, archive)

Rehn: Good neighborly relations with Kosovo

Asked by German daily Kolnische Rundschau if Serbia could join the EU and not recognize Kosovo, the European commissioner said that all EU candidates “are bound to good neighborly relations.” Koštunica reacted to this by calling Rehn’s comments Brussels’ official position.

“By signing Solana’s agreement, Serbia recognizes Kosovo’s independence, and commits to working with this false state,“ said the prime minister.

In a statement to Tanjug, he stressed that since such an agreement with the EU was unconstitutional and contained a concealed plan to dismember Serbia, no-one had the right to sign it on Serbia’s behalf.

Yesterday, in an interview with TV Studio B, Koštunica said that he did not question the need for European integration in any way, but that he could not simply ignore the fact that 17 EU member-states had recognized Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence.

“Things that would be lost that way could never be regained, and as long as Serbia does not sign away a part of its territory, things are difficult but not lost,” underlined the prime minister.

Commenting on the interpretation that Article 135 of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) guaranteed Serbia’s territorial integrity, he replied that by recognizing Kosovo's independence, those 17 EU members had rendered their signature on that agreement—and Article 135, in the process—null and void.

"The moment France, Great Britain and others recognized Kosovo’s independence, that provision ceased to exist," said Koštunica.

The prime minister also pointed out that despite a thirty-year-old territorial dispute, Cyprus had still been accepted into the EU as an intact entity, and that Serbia expected nothing less for itself.

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