Jeremić confident of positive ICJ verdict

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic is confident that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will rule Kosovo’s ilateral independence declaration illegal. The ICJ in The Hague received the General Assembly’s request on Friday for its advisory opinion on whether the province’s independence declaration was in line with international law. Jeremic confident of positive ICJ verdict The General Assembly submitted the question to the ICJ exactly as it was formulated by the Serbian Foreign Ministry. Although the ICJ’s opinion is not binding Jeremic is sure that the advisory opinion will block any further ecognitions of Kosovo. Speaking to B92’s Poligraf, the minister vehemently condemned Montenegro and Macedonia’s move to recognize Kosovo, stating that Serbia had no understanding for such moves in the immediate wake of its initiative being adopted in the UN. The ICJ will take at least six months to return a verdict, though the procedure could take up to two years. Jeremic said that if the outcome went Serbia’s way, wven though it would not be binding, it would be very important as Kosovo would not be able to become a member of any international institutions, while Belgrade would have a chance to return to the negotiating table with the Pristina authorities. “Kosovo and those who support Kosovo independence will be in a situation where they have a permanent semi-defined or undefined status, which the ICJ’s ruling will render indefinite. Meanwhile, Serbia will be willing at any moment to return unconditionally to the negotiating table to discuss reaching a solution that will be acceptable to both Belgrade and Pristina, as well as the Security Council,“ said the minister. He called Montenegro and Macedonia’s decision to recognize Kosovo “scandalous“. Jeremic said that the Podgorica authorities’ excuse that they had to recognize Kosovo to accelerate their own EU integration was a “revolting lie“. The minister said that the government could have reflected the view of 80 percent of its citizens who opposed recognition. He said that this was why Serbia had reacted so swiftly and expelled the ambassadors of those two countries. “Had we not reacted so sternly, we would have sent the mistaken message that now that the resolution had been adopted, Serbia didn’t mind recognitions of Kosovo,“ said Jeremic. The minister announced the possibility of additional measures against Montenegro and Macedonia that the government would be considering in the coming days, but did not want to state what the Serbian Action Plan envisaged. He said only that the measures to be adopted by the government would be directed against the Podgorica authorities, and that every precaution would be taken not harm the citizens of Montenegro in any way, regardless of their nationality.

Jeremić confident of positive ICJ verdict

The General Assembly submitted the question to the ICJ exactly as it was formulated by the Serbian Foreign Ministry.

Although the ICJ’s opinion is not binding Jeremić is sure that the advisory opinion will block any further ecognitions of Kosovo.

Speaking to B92’s Poligraf, the minister vehemently condemned Montenegro and Macedonia’s move to recognize Kosovo, stating that Serbia had no understanding for such moves in the immediate wake of its initiative being adopted in the UN.

The ICJ will take at least six months to return a verdict, though the procedure could take up to two years.

Jeremić said that if the outcome went Serbia’s way, wven though it would not be binding, it would be very important as Kosovo would not be able to become a member of any international institutions, while Belgrade would have a chance to return to the negotiating table with the Priština authorities.

“Kosovo and those who support Kosovo independence will be in a situation where they have a permanent semi-defined or undefined status, which the ICJ’s ruling will render indefinite. Meanwhile, Serbia will be willing at any moment to return unconditionally to the negotiating table to discuss reaching a solution that will be acceptable to both Belgrade and Priština, as well as the Security Council,“ said the minister.

He called Montenegro and Macedonia’s decision to recognize Kosovo “scandalous“.

Jeremić said that the Podgorica authorities’ excuse that they had to recognize Kosovo to accelerate their own EU integration was a “revolting lie“.

The minister said that the government could have reflected the view of 80 percent of its citizens who opposed recognition.

He said that this was why Serbia had reacted so swiftly and expelled the ambassadors of those two countries.

“Had we not reacted so sternly, we would have sent the mistaken message that now that the resolution had been adopted, Serbia didn’t mind recognitions of Kosovo,“ said Jeremić.

The minister announced the possibility of additional measures against Montenegro and Macedonia that the government would be considering in the coming days, but did not want to state what the Serbian Action Plan envisaged.

He said only that the measures to be adopted by the government would be directed against the Podgorica authorities, and that every precaution would be taken not harm the citizens of Montenegro in any way, regardless of their nationality.