Jeremić meets EU ambassadors

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic Wednesday in Belgrade met with the ambassadors from EU countries, Beta reported. Jeremic (DS) said that Belgrade had not received an official invitation for the coming Kosovo talks in Vienna yet, but was expecting it "tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow at the latest." Jeremic meets EU ambassadors After meeting with the ambassadors, Jeremic told a news conference that the Vienna talks, due to take place on October 22, would most likely be at ministerial level, like the previous ones in Brussels. According to him, the Belgrade delegation will most likely be headed by Minister of Kosovo and Metohija Slobodan Samardzic and himself. Jeremic called for political support from the EU members for the urgent initialing of a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). "We are facing a very important step, and that is the initialing of the SAA, which soon afterwards will lead to signing the agreement by the end of the year," Jeremic said after his meeting with the EU ambassadors. "I conveyed to the ambassadors our government's stand that full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal is an absolute and short-term priority, and that we hope our readiness to fully cooperate will also be reflected in the reports due to be submitted by the end of this month," he added. Jeremic voiced the hope that Croatia's appointment as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council will lead to a better understanding of the problems related to the Western Balkans in the debate on regional problems in the Security Council," Jeremic told journalists. Vuk Jeremic hosts EU ambassadors (Beta) "Near complete autonomy, no independence" Also Wednesday, in an interview with the AP, Jeremic said that Serbia offers Kosovo Albanians near complete autonomy, "but not independence, no seat in the UN nor control over defense and foreign policies." Jeremic said Serbia is willing to give Kosovo Albanians "95 percent of competencies that are needed to govern" the province. "Basically, we are looking at the territory of Kosovo and what we are saying is that its future status will be determined by who runs what," Jeremic said in what the agency described as "the first public revelation of details of Serbia's negotiation position." "We are prepared to be flexible to where the dividing line goes," Jeremic said. "I believe that our opening position is very generous and we are willing to talk about the details" at the next round of direct talks in Vienna, Austria, next Monday, Jeremic said. Jeremic said that Kosovo having a seat in the UN "is certainly something we cannot envisage under any circumstances." He said the other prerogative Serbia is unwilling to give to the Albanians is "fully fledged" control of foreign policy — although the province would be allowed "full access" to foreign financial institutions and the ability open foreign representational offices "for the running of its own affairs." Jeremic said Serbia is proposing that Kosovo should be fully demilitarized, in a way that would be supervised "by the international military presence, which is likely to stay there anyway." He called for the talks to continue past December 10 — when the U.S., Russian and EU mediators are supposed to submit their report to the United Nations — saying the time pressure was undermining chances of success. "The deadline is actually killing the prospects for arriving to the compromise solution," Jeremic said. "Why would the Albanian side have an incentive to engage in the talks if they know what they would be getting after December 10 if no compromise was reached?" In case of a unilateral recognition of Kosovo by the U.S., "the situation is guaranteed to be worse" in the Balkans, Jeremic said. "If there are no rules in Kosovo, why would there be any in the Balkans or the rest of the world?" he asked.

Jeremić meets EU ambassadors

After meeting with the ambassadors, Jeremić told a news conference that the Vienna talks, due to take place on October 22, would most likely be at ministerial level, like the previous ones in Brussels.

According to him, the Belgrade delegation will most likely be headed by Minister of Kosovo and Metohija Slobodan Samardžić and himself.

Jeremić called for political support from the EU members for the urgent initialing of a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA).

"We are facing a very important step, and that is the initialing of the SAA, which soon afterwards will lead to signing the agreement by the end of the year," Jeremić said after his meeting with the EU ambassadors.

"I conveyed to the ambassadors our government's stand that full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal is an absolute and short-term priority, and that we hope our readiness to fully cooperate will also be reflected in the reports due to be submitted by the end of this month," he added.

Jeremić voiced the hope that Croatia's appointment as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council will lead to a better understanding of the problems related to the Western Balkans in the debate on regional problems in the Security Council," Jeremić told journalists.

"Near complete autonomy, no independence"

Also Wednesday, in an interview with the AP, Jeremić said that Serbia offers Kosovo Albanians near complete autonomy, "but not independence, no seat in the UN nor control over defense and foreign policies."

Jeremić said Serbia is willing to give Kosovo Albanians "95 percent of competencies that are needed to govern" the province.

"Basically, we are looking at the territory of Kosovo and what we are saying is that its future status will be determined by who runs what," Jeremić said in what the agency described as "the first public revelation of details of Serbia's negotiation position."

"We are prepared to be flexible to where the dividing line goes," Jeremić said.

"I believe that our opening position is very generous and we are willing to talk about the details" at the next round of direct talks in Vienna, Austria, next Monday, Jeremić said.

Jeremić said that Kosovo having a seat in the UN "is certainly something we cannot envisage under any circumstances."

He said the other prerogative Serbia is unwilling to give to the Albanians is "fully fledged" control of foreign policy — although the province would be allowed "full access" to foreign financial institutions and the ability open foreign representational offices "for the running of its own affairs."

Jeremić said Serbia is proposing that Kosovo should be fully demilitarized, in a way that would be supervised "by the international military presence, which is likely to stay there anyway."

He called for the talks to continue past December 10 — when the U.S., Russian and EU mediators are supposed to submit their report to the United Nations — saying the time pressure was undermining chances of success.

"The deadline is actually killing the prospects for arriving to the compromise solution," Jeremić said. "Why would the Albanian side have an incentive to engage in the talks if they know what they would be getting after December 10 if no compromise was reached?"

In case of a unilateral recognition of Kosovo by the U.S., "the situation is guaranteed to be worse" in the Balkans, Jeremić said.

"If there are no rules in Kosovo, why would there be any in the Balkans or the rest of the world?" he asked.