Analysts on British minister's messages

The stances of Serbia and the European Union on the Kosovo resolution are not any closer after the visit of British Foreign Secretary William Hague. Hague’s message was that a compromise would be easier to reach if Serbia pulls its resolution which it submitted to the UN General Assembly, but Serbia finds that to be "unacceptable", according to Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. Analysts on British minister's messages “It would be best for the existing resolution to be pulled or to reach an agreement on the resolution with the rest of the European Union,” Hague told B92. “Now it is important to find a practical way to improve cooperation and the united work of Serbia and Kosovo in order for both countries to have a European perspective and enter the EU,” Hague said. Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said that the solution for the Kosovo problem cannot be found without Serbia and that he expects a compromise regarding the resolution. Analyst Vatroslav Vekaric said that Hague’s suggestion should be seriously considered, adding that it is a pragmatic proposal, not an ultimatum. “It looks as if neither backing down or staying with the first draft of the proposal we sent to the UN are something that could score points for Serbia’s foreign policies, I think that in both instances, our position can only get worse. I do not see where a compromise could be found between our initial stances on the proposed resolution which we sent to the UN and the draft that we would eventually have with parts that our partners are not happy with thrown out,” Vekaric said. “That is why I think that withdrawing the resolution, which was suggested by the British minister, would be the most elegant way to avoid solving the problem we have,” he said, adding that the resolution itself is not that important in any sense and was the result of a rushed act of Serbian diplomacy. He said that a compromise solution, when it came to the draft's wording, seemed almost impossible. “I do not think that it would help much if the resolution was adopted without its important contents, and those were essentially the call for new talks between Belgrade and Pristina which would include status talks, and the other is the mention of secession as a problem that the ICJ decision did not deal with, and as we know, EU member-states are against that,” Vekaric said. “In the end, if we decided on a compromise and withdrew all of these parts of the resolution, the resolution would be some kind of technical proposal to the General Assembly to acknowledge the ICJ decision, and it is like we forgot that the decision was negative,” he said. On the other hand, President of the Balkan Fund for Democracy Ivan Vejvoda said that a compromise would be found before the UN General Assembly session between Serbia and the EU. “In diplomacy there is always room in the final hours for negotiations and finding an acceptable solution for both sides, it looks like Serbia has decided to find a compromise solution, not to go with confrontation but with harmonization, we are, de facto, on the road to the EU and we have relations based on agreements, and we depend on it economically, and I think that an acceptable solution for both sides will be found before the UN General Assembly session,” he said. President Boris Tadic also discussed the issue with a visiting U.S. Congress delegation, stating that Serbia is conducting talks with all international factors in order to find a solution of the resolution, through dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Tadic also confirmed that EU membership is Serbia’s strategic goal. Foreign media, for the most part, stated that Hague’s visit to Belgrade was a way for the West to put more pressure on the Serbian government to back off in its fight for Kosovo and to focus on European integration. Reuters writes that London is increasing diplomatic pressure on Serbia to focus on European integration instead of continuing to fight against Kosovo’s independence. The Associated Press reported that Hague called on Serbia not to oppose Kosovo’s independence before the UN General Assembly. Hague in Belgrade on Tuesday (Beta)

Analysts on British minister's messages

“It would be best for the existing resolution to be pulled or to reach an agreement on the resolution with the rest of the European Union,” Hague told B92.

“Now it is important to find a practical way to improve cooperation and the united work of Serbia and Kosovo in order for both countries to have a European perspective and enter the EU,” Hague said.

Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković said that the solution for the Kosovo problem cannot be found without Serbia and that he expects a compromise regarding the resolution.

Analyst Vatroslav Vekarić said that Hague’s suggestion should be seriously considered, adding that it is a pragmatic proposal, not an ultimatum.

“It looks as if neither backing down or staying with the first draft of the proposal we sent to the UN are something that could score points for Serbia’s foreign policies, I think that in both instances, our position can only get worse. I do not see where a compromise could be found between our initial stances on the proposed resolution which we sent to the UN and the draft that we would eventually have with parts that our partners are not happy with thrown out,” Vekarić said.

“That is why I think that withdrawing the resolution, which was suggested by the British minister, would be the most elegant way to avoid solving the problem we have,” he said, adding that the resolution itself is not that important in any sense and was the result of a rushed act of Serbian diplomacy.

He said that a compromise solution, when it came to the draft's wording, seemed almost impossible.

“I do not think that it would help much if the resolution was adopted without its important contents, and those were essentially the call for new talks between Belgrade and Priština which would include status talks, and the other is the mention of secession as a problem that the ICJ decision did not deal with, and as we know, EU member-states are against that,” Vekarić said.

“In the end, if we decided on a compromise and withdrew all of these parts of the resolution, the resolution would be some kind of technical proposal to the General Assembly to acknowledge the ICJ decision, and it is like we forgot that the decision was negative,” he said.

On the other hand, President of the Balkan Fund for Democracy Ivan Vejvoda said that a compromise would be found before the UN General Assembly session between Serbia and the EU.

“In diplomacy there is always room in the final hours for negotiations and finding an acceptable solution for both sides, it looks like Serbia has decided to find a compromise solution, not to go with confrontation but with harmonization, we are, de facto, on the road to the EU and we have relations based on agreements, and we depend on it economically, and I think that an acceptable solution for both sides will be found before the UN General Assembly session,” he said.

President Boris Tadić also discussed the issue with a visiting U.S. Congress delegation, stating that Serbia is conducting talks with all international factors in order to find a solution of the resolution, through dialogue between Belgrade and Priština.

Tadić also confirmed that EU membership is Serbia’s strategic goal.

Foreign media, for the most part, stated that Hague’s visit to Belgrade was a way for the West to put more pressure on the Serbian government to back off in its fight for Kosovo and to focus on European integration.

Reuters writes that London is increasing diplomatic pressure on Serbia to focus on European integration instead of continuing to fight against Kosovo’s independence.

The Associated Press reported that Hague called on Serbia not to oppose Kosovo’s independence before the UN General Assembly.