Kouchner: EU unity "most precious" in Kosovo issue

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic met with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner in Bucharest on Tuesday. Following their meeting in the Romanian capital, during the Romanian diplomacy's annual conference, Jeremic said that France supported the Kosovo negotiations and any solution they yielded. Kouchner: EU unity "most precious" in Kosovo issue “We all hope the solution will be tantamount to a compromise which will open and speed up the European journey of the western Balkans.” “There is no question that France wants to see Serbia in the EU,” Jeremic stressed, adding that France would chair the Union during the second half of 2008. “We will need France’s support at that point, which is why it is of the utmost importance for Serbia to nurture good relations with Paris.” Kouchner noted after a meeting with the Romanian foreign minister, Adrian Cioroianu, that “Europe’s unity is more important than the fate of Kosovo,” according to Beta. “The unity of Europe is very significant in relation to the solution for the Serbian province,” he explained, noting that there were differences in the approach to the issue. “In seeking a solution for Kosovo’s status, we should look to find an outcome that would satisfy all sides, and respect Russia’s position,” he said, reiterating that the EU unity was "the most precious". Commenting on the possibility of partitioning Kosovo, Kouchner said that France, the rest of the EU and Russia believe Kosovo should remain enclosed within its "historical borders". Jeremic in Brussels on Wednesday Foreign minister Vuk Jeremic will spend Wednesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where he is expected to put forward a presentation document regarding Serbia’s basic goals in NATO's Partnership for Peace Program (PfP). The framework document of the PfP says that member states are obliged to provide the NATO authorities with presentation documents identifying the steps they will take to achieve the political and military goals, as well as other assets that might be used for Partnership activities. The Serbian government adopted the document on July 27, sponsored by foreign and defense ministries. Following the presentation of the document, Serbia and NATO will sign the Security Agreement outlining the terms of exchange of confidential data, and Serbia is expected to open its office with the North Atlantic Alliance in Brussels. The Partnership for Peace is a program of practical bilateral cooperation between individual partner countries and NATO. Serbia joined the outreach program at a NATO summit in Riga, on November 29, 2006.

Kouchner: EU unity "most precious" in Kosovo issue

“We all hope the solution will be tantamount to a compromise which will open and speed up the European journey of the western Balkans.”

“There is no question that France wants to see Serbia in the EU,” Jeremić stressed, adding that France would chair the Union during the second half of 2008.

“We will need France’s support at that point, which is why it is of the utmost importance for Serbia to nurture good relations with Paris.”

Kouchner noted after a meeting with the Romanian foreign minister, Adrian Cioroianu, that “Europe’s unity is more important than the fate of Kosovo,” according to Beta.

“The unity of Europe is very significant in relation to the solution for the Serbian province,” he explained, noting that there were differences in the approach to the issue.

“In seeking a solution for Kosovo’s status, we should look to find an outcome that would satisfy all sides, and respect Russia’s position,” he said, reiterating that the EU unity was "the most precious".

Commenting on the possibility of partitioning Kosovo, Kouchner said that France, the rest of the EU and Russia believe Kosovo should remain enclosed within its "historical borders".

Jeremić in Brussels on Wednesday

Foreign minister Vuk Jeremić will spend Wednesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where he is expected to put forward a presentation document regarding Serbia’s basic goals in NATO's Partnership for Peace Program (PfP).

The framework document of the PfP says that member states are obliged to provide the NATO authorities with presentation documents identifying the steps they will take to achieve the political and military goals, as well as other assets that might be used for Partnership activities.

The Serbian government adopted the document on July 27, sponsored by foreign and defense ministries.

Following the presentation of the document, Serbia and NATO will sign the Security Agreement outlining the terms of exchange of confidential data, and Serbia is expected to open its office with the North Atlantic Alliance in Brussels.

The Partnership for Peace is a program of practical bilateral cooperation between individual partner countries and NATO.

Serbia joined the outreach program at a NATO summit in Riga, on November 29, 2006.