President Nikolić: We have solution for Kosovo

BELGRADE Tomislav Nikolic says the authorities have prepared a solution for Kosovo, and that he expects a date for the start of EU membership talks by the end of 2012. The Serbian president told public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) late on Wednesday that a high level of consent had been reached at a meeting on platform for Kosovo, adding that parliament would soon vote on the document. President Nikolic: We have solution for Kosovo “We have reached a high level of consent and we will soon include parliament, because this is a platform that Serbia will use as a starting point,” Nikolic stressed. He said that more people could take part in the drafting of the platform as of next week. “We did not hear many objections and there were suggestions and proposals,” the president said. When asked about a maneuvering space for the finding of a solution that would make both sides satisfied, he said that the space would be very small. “Citizens see that, I talk to people that are affected by the politics, in the streets, in the country, cities, but Serbia is an internationally recognized state that many treat hypocritically,” he stressed. “As a president of Serbia I will certainly never speak in Pristina but a solution should be found. The problem has been here for years and a solution should be found and I think that we are about to persuade the great forces that they have somehow lost control of the problem. We have a ready solution now, it is meaningless to talk about telecommunication when you do not know whether you are organizing an independent Kosovo or a life in Kosovo,” Nikolic said, adding that “not everything is etched in stone, especially not to the detriment of Serbia”. According to him, the UN prevents Kosovo from being a state and there are UN Security Council members that prevent Kosovo from becoming a UN member. The president repeated that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton had not asked Serbia to recognize Kosovo. He said that they had not been informed about solutions from Serbia’s platform for Kosovo since the Serbian people should see it first. “They were able to conclude in the talks that lasted unusually long, an hour and a half that (PM Ivica) Dacic and I are saying the same things, we are just using different words,” Nikolic said and added that “they were able to conclude what our objections and wishes were”. Tomislav Nikolic (Beta, file) “EU talks date by year’s end” The president said that Serbia would meet all the conditions imposed by the EU and expressed the expectation that the date of accession talks would be granted by the end of the year. Nikolic pointed out that he wanted the country to be regulated according to the EU norms, adding that the number of principles included in the European agenda which Serbia implemented and those it failed to carry out should be taken into consideration. “These include the issue of judges, privatization, fight against corruption and (First Deputy Prime Minister) Aleksandar Vucic can do this best,” Nikolic said and added that Serbia had fallen into a snake lair, where officials were running people's lives and eavesdropping on the president and Vucic. “This is no way to live in Serbia,” he said. The president recalled that the fight against corruption was one of the conditions imposed by the EU and noted that perception of corruption in Serbia was drastically high and was now dropping slightly and that everyone was aware that they could be subject to legal inspection. He noted that he would not renounce the fight against corruption and added that everyone should know this. “We want to persecute criminals and I do not care about their ties with politicians, because this is not the subject of investigation,” Nikolic noted. “I want such a Serbia and then it is up to the EU to decide whether we will join it,” he said and added that even if the country did not access the EU, Serbia would be a completely regulated country with which the EU would be able to cooperate. “I dream about initiation of the talks with the EU because this is a sign that Serbia is a well-regulated country. And if they want to set recognition of Kosovo as a condition, then this should wait until the accession and not the negotiations,” the president said. “I’m satisfied with government’s work” Nikolic said he was satisfied with the work the government has done in the first 100 days of its mandate and added that it had done more than any other in the same period. The president stated that this was a pro-Serbian government which needed to understand the gravity of the situation. Speaking about the problem of poverty, the Serbian president said that the most important thing now was for Serbia not to be a country of the poor but he also underscored that the budget was modest and that everyone wanted to claim a portion of it. When asked whether the job of the Serbian president seemed to him more difficult now after almost 150 days of work, Nikolic said that he wanted victory in the elections and that he always wished to be the prime minister. “Still, the victory changes some things but it also takes the focus off you. I ensured enough work for my working hours although I could live more comfortably, but it is not the time for enjoyment in Serbia and I will own up any failures of the government,” Nikolic explained. Tanjug

President Nikolić: We have solution for Kosovo

“We have reached a high level of consent and we will soon include parliament, because this is a platform that Serbia will use as a starting point,” Nikolić stressed.

He said that more people could take part in the drafting of the platform as of next week.

“We did not hear many objections and there were suggestions and proposals,” the president said.

When asked about a maneuvering space for the finding of a solution that would make both sides satisfied, he said that the space would be very small.

“Citizens see that, I talk to people that are affected by the politics, in the streets, in the country, cities, but Serbia is an internationally recognized state that many treat hypocritically,” he stressed.

“As a president of Serbia I will certainly never speak in Priština but a solution should be found. The problem has been here for years and a solution should be found and I think that we are about to persuade the great forces that they have somehow lost control of the problem. We have a ready solution now, it is meaningless to talk about telecommunication when you do not know whether you are organizing an independent Kosovo or a life in Kosovo,” Nikolić said, adding that “not everything is etched in stone, especially not to the detriment of Serbia”.

According to him, the UN prevents Kosovo from being a state and there are UN Security Council members that prevent Kosovo from becoming a UN member.

The president repeated that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton had not asked Serbia to recognize Kosovo. He said that they had not been informed about solutions from Serbia’s platform for Kosovo since the Serbian people should see it first.

“They were able to conclude in the talks that lasted unusually long, an hour and a half that (PM Ivica) Dačić and I are saying the same things, we are just using different words,” Nikolić said and added that “they were able to conclude what our objections and wishes were”.

“EU talks date by year’s end”

The president said that Serbia would meet all the conditions imposed by the EU and expressed the expectation that the date of accession talks would be granted by the end of the year.

Nikolić pointed out that he wanted the country to be regulated according to the EU norms, adding that the number of principles included in the European agenda which Serbia implemented and those it failed to carry out should be taken into consideration.

“These include the issue of judges, privatization, fight against corruption and (First Deputy Prime Minister) Aleksandar Vučić can do this best,” Nikolić said and added that Serbia had fallen into a snake lair, where officials were running people's lives and eavesdropping on the president and Vučić.

“This is no way to live in Serbia,” he said.

The president recalled that the fight against corruption was one of the conditions imposed by the EU and noted that perception of corruption in Serbia was drastically high and was now dropping slightly and that everyone was aware that they could be subject to legal inspection.

He noted that he would not renounce the fight against corruption and added that everyone should know this.

“We want to persecute criminals and I do not care about their ties with politicians, because this is not the subject of investigation,” Nikolić noted.

“I want such a Serbia and then it is up to the EU to decide whether we will join it,” he said and added that even if the country did not access the EU, Serbia would be a completely regulated country with which the EU would be able to cooperate.

“I dream about initiation of the talks with the EU because this is a sign that Serbia is a well-regulated country. And if they want to set recognition of Kosovo as a condition, then this should wait until the accession and not the negotiations,” the president said.

“I’m satisfied with government’s work”

Nikolić said he was satisfied with the work the government has done in the first 100 days of its mandate and added that it had done more than any other in the same period.

The president stated that this was a pro-Serbian government which needed to understand the gravity of the situation.

Speaking about the problem of poverty, the Serbian president said that the most important thing now was for Serbia not to be a country of the poor but he also underscored that the budget was modest and that everyone wanted to claim a portion of it.

When asked whether the job of the Serbian president seemed to him more difficult now after almost 150 days of work, Nikolić said that he wanted victory in the elections and that he always wished to be the prime minister.

“Still, the victory changes some things but it also takes the focus off you. I ensured enough work for my working hours although I could live more comfortably, but it is not the time for enjoyment in Serbia and I will own up any failures of the government,” Nikolić explained.