Jeremić warns of possible Kosovo partition

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic says that despite Serbia's wishes, the north of Kosovo could separate. He told Germany's Der Spiegel that a possible declaration of the province's unilateral independence would be a bad decision, and announced that Serbia is set to use "all means, except the military", to object to such threats to its territorial integrity. Jeremic warns of possible Kosovo partition "We will do all a sovereign country can do to defend its integrity. We will undertake all that is in our political, diplomatic, legal and economic powers to act against such a decision, which is not in line with law," Jeremic said. The chief of Serbian diplomacy did not exclude the possibility that one of Belgrade's moves could be to impose an economic blockade of Kosovo. Asked whether the Serbian authorities support "threats by Kosovo Serbs who wish to secede and annex the north to Serbia", Jeremic said that on this, Belgrade was "threading on thin ice". "Serbia wishes to keep everything within the boundaries of international law and this is a very important point for us. But besides this, a reality exists, and there are people who may see things differently," Jeremic explained. Analysts in the country have warned for some time that any official recognition of Kosovo's partition would at the same time mean that Belgrade has recognized Kosovo's independence as fact. "A Pandora's Box could open up there and cause partition of Kosovo, something Serbia does not want," Jeremic told the German magazine. He also pointed out that today, nine years after NATO's bombing campaign, Serbia has completely changed, with a democratically elected government, rule of law and a growing economy, on the road to the EU and reconciliation with its neighbors. "Milosevic was brought down in a democratic way, he died as a prisoner accused by the Hague Tribunal. Why then should Serbia today pay the price for a war that Milosevic himself was not made to pay," the foreign minister wondered, and explained that immediately after the 1999 NATO intervention, "Kosovo could have gained independence without much opposition." In another interview Sunday, this time for the national news agency Tanjug, Jeremic looked at the issue of Serbia's EU integration, and said the January 20 presidential elections will afford the country with an opportunity to say "whether it wants to join the European Union and become a full member." "The EU has absolutely no dilemma that Serbia is welcome. Only one more vote is needed, one more country must agree that Serbia should become a EU member, and that country is Serbia itself," Jeremic said as he visited the agency. He expressed "hope and belief" that Serbia would opt for EU membership and underscored that the "presidential elections will be an opportunity for this." "If this chance is not used, if we decide to take several more years to think matters through, we could find that the process of EU's consolidation is completed, that borders are established and that there is no more room for new EU members," Jeremic said. He added that "the path towards EU membership is currently open to all countries of the Western Balkans and that no one has any dilemmas about this." In this context, Jeremic, of President Boris Tadic's Democrats (DS), described an initiative to open a joint Zagreb international press center of Tanjug and Croatia's HINA state news agency as "very important." Jeremic tours Tanjug, and meets with the agency's journalists and editors (Tanjug)

Jeremić warns of possible Kosovo partition

"We will do all a sovereign country can do to defend its integrity. We will undertake all that is in our political, diplomatic, legal and economic powers to act against such a decision, which is not in line with law," Jeremić said.

The chief of Serbian diplomacy did not exclude the possibility that one of Belgrade's moves could be to impose an economic blockade of Kosovo.

Asked whether the Serbian authorities support "threats by Kosovo Serbs who wish to secede and annex the north to Serbia", Jeremić said that on this, Belgrade was "threading on thin ice".

"Serbia wishes to keep everything within the boundaries of international law and this is a very important point for us. But besides this, a reality exists, and there are people who may see things differently," Jeremić explained.

Analysts in the country have warned for some time that any official recognition of Kosovo's partition would at the same time mean that Belgrade has recognized Kosovo's independence as fact.

"A Pandora's Box could open up there and cause partition of Kosovo, something Serbia does not want," Jeremić told the German magazine.

He also pointed out that today, nine years after NATO's bombing campaign, Serbia has completely changed, with a democratically elected government, rule of law and a growing economy, on the road to the EU and reconciliation with its neighbors.

"Milošević was brought down in a democratic way, he died as a prisoner accused by the Hague Tribunal. Why then should Serbia today pay the price for a war that Milošević himself was not made to pay," the foreign minister wondered, and explained that immediately after the 1999 NATO intervention, "Kosovo could have gained independence without much opposition."

In another interview Sunday, this time for the national news agency Tanjug, Jeremić looked at the issue of Serbia's EU integration, and said the January 20 presidential elections will afford the country with an opportunity to say "whether it wants to join the European Union and become a full member."

"The EU has absolutely no dilemma that Serbia is welcome. Only one more vote is needed, one more country must agree that Serbia should become a EU member, and that country is Serbia itself," Jeremić said as he visited the agency.

He expressed "hope and belief" that Serbia would opt for EU membership and underscored that the "presidential elections will be an opportunity for this."

"If this chance is not used, if we decide to take several more years to think matters through, we could find that the process of EU's consolidation is completed, that borders are established and that there is no more room for new EU members," Jeremić said.

He added that "the path towards EU membership is currently open to all countries of the Western Balkans and that no one has any dilemmas about this."

In this context, Jeremić, of President Boris Tadić's Democrats (DS), described an initiative to open a joint Zagreb international press center of Tanjug and Croatia's HINA state news agency as "very important."