FM: New negotiations Serbia’s goal

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said that Serbia does not want a frozen conflict in Kosovo and hopes for new negotiations. “The clearer the conclusion of the UN General Assembly, the greater the chances for this process to end successfully will be,” he said. FM: New negotiations Serbia’s goal Jeremic said that Serbia has not made its draft resolution yet, adding that there would be consultations held with international experts. Asked of Brussels’ intentions to get involved with the creation of this resolution, Jeremic said that Serbia is ready to cooperation with “all international officials” in order to secure the greatest amount of support for its resolution. “We have clearly defined red lines which we cannot cross. We cannot even give indirect approval of the effort of the Kosovo Albanians to unilaterally secede from Serbia. This must be crystal clear in the resolution,” Jeremic said. Asked about relations with the European Union and Serbia’s EU candidacy, Jeremic said that “there are much more serious obstacles on the road to EU enlargement in the Balkans than the differences between Belgrade a number of EU member-states regarding Kosovo.” “The obstacles would not be removed even if we changed our principle policies. Since EU membership remains the strategic priority of our country, we will do everything that is possible in that field so that there would not be any further complications in our relations,” Jeremic said, adding that Serbia “cannot do this at all costs.” He said that Serbia has received assurances from EU member-states that have not recognized Kosovo that their stances on the issue would not change. Answer questions regarding the possible partition of Kosovo, Jeremic said that Serbia is focused on starting talks that would lead to a solution of compromise. He reiterated that the decision of the International Court of Justice has “opened Pandora’s box,” because it increases the danger of secessionist movements in other parts of the world. “If it turns out in some cases that as of today, the right to a unilateral proclamation of secession is acceptable in international relations, and that this has the support of the majority in the UN, it would surely destabilize many countries around the world,” Jeremic said. He added that Serbia hopes that the danger of secession would be “shut down by an appropriate conclusion before the UN General Assembly.” Vuk Jeremic (FoNet archive)

FM: New negotiations Serbia’s goal

Jeremić said that Serbia has not made its draft resolution yet, adding that there would be consultations held with international experts.

Asked of Brussels’ intentions to get involved with the creation of this resolution, Jeremić said that Serbia is ready to cooperation with “all international officials” in order to secure the greatest amount of support for its resolution.

“We have clearly defined red lines which we cannot cross. We cannot even give indirect approval of the effort of the Kosovo Albanians to unilaterally secede from Serbia. This must be crystal clear in the resolution,” Jeremić said.

Asked about relations with the European Union and Serbia’s EU candidacy, Jeremić said that “there are much more serious obstacles on the road to EU enlargement in the Balkans than the differences between Belgrade a number of EU member-states regarding Kosovo.”

“The obstacles would not be removed even if we changed our principle policies. Since EU membership remains the strategic priority of our country, we will do everything that is possible in that field so that there would not be any further complications in our relations,” Jeremić said, adding that Serbia “cannot do this at all costs.”

He said that Serbia has received assurances from EU member-states that have not recognized Kosovo that their stances on the issue would not change.

Answer questions regarding the possible partition of Kosovo, Jeremić said that Serbia is focused on starting talks that would lead to a solution of compromise.

He reiterated that the decision of the International Court of Justice has “opened Pandora’s box,” because it increases the danger of secessionist movements in other parts of the world.

“If it turns out in some cases that as of today, the right to a unilateral proclamation of secession is acceptable in international relations, and that this has the support of the majority in the UN, it would surely destabilize many countries around the world,” Jeremić said.

He added that Serbia hopes that the danger of secession would be “shut down by an appropriate conclusion before the UN General Assembly.”