Koštunica tells Serbs "Kosovo is priority"

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) – New Serbia coalition leaders were today in Zubin Potok, Kosovo for a campaign rally. Caretaker Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and outgoing Infrastructure Minister Velimir Ilic told the local Serbs that Kosovo is Serbia, and that the government set to be formed after May 11 must see the need to respect this message as its first priority. Kostunica tells Serbs "Kosovo is priority" "Kosovo is the first name of Serbia, and to support Serbia means to tell the truth that Kosovo belongs to Serbia and the Serb nation," Kostunica said. "This is how it has been, and how it shall be", he said, and added that the Serb Orthodox Christian shrines and holy places scattered across Kosovo testify to this. "No nation and no country would accept to renounce its brothers, its territory and place of origin, to stop being what it is, and this is precisely what they ask of us. The answer is clear: why don't the world power wielders sell their own countries' territory," Kostunica told the rally, and stressed "Serbia will not do something of the kind either". According to him, Serbia has demonstrated that she respects for divine and human laws, and for this reason will not accept to see another one of those laws, the UN Charter, violated. "We won't humiliate ourselves and put a signature on Solana's agreement," he said of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). "Those who did that, have brought shame onto themselves," Kostunica said, and added that Serbia wants to have a place in the world. He told the crowd that Serbia will fight for Kosovo by strengthening the economy, building new infrastructure, and becoming a strong state. Kostunica reminded that "Serbia is set to build a large highway", and that the caretaker government will on Friday confirm the strategic energy agreement with Russia. Ilic also addressed the rally when he once again accused President Boris Tadic, DS, of treason. "Tadic committed treason by signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU," the NS leader was quoted by Beta. "Tadic should not have betrayed the citizens of Serbia, because he is the president of all," Ilic said, and continued that Serbia "will never recognize Solana's agreement". The Zubin Potok rally also heard addresses from local Serb leaders, including Marko Jaksic, the chairman of the Serb National Council of Northern Kosovo, SNV. Kostunica addresses the Serbs in Zubin Potok today (Beta) "SAA sham" Yesterday, the DSS leader Vojislav Kostunica said that Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht's remarks proved that the SAA was “a sham.” At a celebration to mark his party's patron saint’s day, Kostunica said De Gucht's statement that he considered Serbia as a territory without Kosovo meant that EU members that had ratified the agreement would recognize Serbia without Kosovo, that is, not within its internationally recognized borders. "We warned our coalition partners not to rush headlong into something that would have them recognizing the independence of Kosovo," the DSS leader said, adding that Javier Solana was behind "the forged" Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). He added that the document would have to be annulled. Asked if the agreement had been signed in the same form in which it had been initialed, he said the document had been altered on Feb. 17, when Kosovo declared independence, and when the EU had given the go-ahead to violate UN Security Council Resolution 1244. According to Kostunica, this rendered the initialed agreement null and void, while Feb. 17 was the date that had changed the document’s relevance. The guests at the St. George’s Day celebration included representatives of the New Serbia party, Socialist Party of Serbia officials Zarko Obradovic, Branko Ruzic and Milorad Vucelic, academic Matija Beckovic, Editor-in-Chief of the Politika newspaper Ljiljana Smajlovic, while Serbian Broadcasting Corporation chief Aleksandar Tijanic arrived late. No one from the Democratic Party, Serb Radical Party or G17 Plus attended the event.

Koštunica tells Serbs "Kosovo is priority"

"Kosovo is the first name of Serbia, and to support Serbia means to tell the truth that Kosovo belongs to Serbia and the Serb nation," Koštunica said.

"This is how it has been, and how it shall be", he said, and added that the Serb Orthodox Christian shrines and holy places scattered across Kosovo testify to this.

"No nation and no country would accept to renounce its brothers, its territory and place of origin, to stop being what it is, and this is precisely what they ask of us. The answer is clear: why don't the world power wielders sell their own countries' territory," Koštunica told the rally, and stressed "Serbia will not do something of the kind either".

According to him, Serbia has demonstrated that she respects for divine and human laws, and for this reason will not accept to see another one of those laws, the UN Charter, violated.

"We won't humiliate ourselves and put a signature on Solana's agreement," he said of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA).

"Those who did that, have brought shame onto themselves," Koštunica said, and added that Serbia wants to have a place in the world.

He told the crowd that Serbia will fight for Kosovo by strengthening the economy, building new infrastructure, and becoming a strong state.

Koštunica reminded that "Serbia is set to build a large highway", and that the caretaker government will on Friday confirm the strategic energy agreement with Russia.

Ilić also addressed the rally when he once again accused President Boris Tadić, DS, of treason.

"Tadić committed treason by signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU," the NS leader was quoted by Beta.

"Tadić should not have betrayed the citizens of Serbia, because he is the president of all," Ilić said, and continued that Serbia "will never recognize Solana's agreement".

The Zubin Potok rally also heard addresses from local Serb leaders, including Marko Jakšić, the chairman of the Serb National Council of Northern Kosovo, SNV.

"SAA sham"

Yesterday, the DSS leader Vojislav Koštunica said that Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht's remarks proved that the SAA was “a sham.”

At a celebration to mark his party's patron saint’s day, Koštunica said De Gucht's statement that he considered Serbia as a territory without Kosovo meant that EU members that had ratified the agreement would recognize Serbia without Kosovo, that is, not within its internationally recognized borders.

"We warned our coalition partners not to rush headlong into something that would have them recognizing the independence of Kosovo," the DSS leader said, adding that Javier Solana was behind "the forged" Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). He added that the document would have to be annulled.

Asked if the agreement had been signed in the same form in which it had been initialed, he said the document had been altered on Feb. 17, when Kosovo declared independence, and when the EU had given the go-ahead to violate UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

According to Koštunica, this rendered the initialed agreement null and void, while Feb. 17 was the date that had changed the document’s relevance.

The guests at the St. George’s Day celebration included representatives of the New Serbia party, Socialist Party of Serbia officials Žarko Obradović, Branko Ružić and Milorad Vučelić, academic Matija Bečković, Editor-in-Chief of the Politika newspaper Ljiljana Smajlovic, while Serbian Broadcasting Corporation chief Aleksandar Tijanić arrived late.

No one from the Democratic Party, Serb Radical Party or G17 Plus attended the event.