Koštunica: We will never give up Kosovo

Koštunica: We will never give up Kosovo

The United States and Russia are at loggerheads over the issue, with the U.S. supporting conditional independence as a final solution, and Russia backing Belgrade's proposal to give the region broad autonomy but keep it within Serbian territory.

Russia, Serbia's traditional ally, has said no solution should be imposed against Serbia's wishes. Russia's ambassador in Belgrade has indicated his country could use its veto power on the U.N. Security Council to prevent Kosovo's independence.

"Russia has a principal stand, and it will not allow the U.N. Security Council to breach the U.N. Charter and thus allow the destruction of the existing states and the redrawing of the existing borders" in Europe, Koštunica said.

"One thing is completely clear ... Albanians cannot create their second state on the territory of Serbia," Koštunica said, referring to Albania, which neighbors Kosovo.

Meanwhile, Koštunica’s foreign policy advisor and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) vice president Vladeta Janković told a Belgrade daily that a solution to Kosovo’s status should not be expected before mid 2007.

Asked how a DSS cabinet would respond to Kosovo’s possible independence, Janković said that would be an issue for the parliament, rather than any government, to consider.

“As for us in the DSS, we will never recognize conditional or any other kind of independence of a part of our territory”, Janković said, adding his guess was that the Serbian authorities would treat the issue in the same way China treats Taiwan.  

“German unification, the return of the annexed parts of Poland, occupied Finland or colonized Hong Kong – these are just a few examples of the return of the forcefully taken territory”, Janković said.

He believes there is “no reason to fear that Russia might back down from its principled position regarding Kosovo”. In Janković’s words, Russia will, in the UN Security Council, stand up against any solution detrimental to Serbia’s interests.