| FM: High expectations for Medvedev visit |
| 19 October 2009 | 11:26
| Source:
B92, Blic |
BELGRADE --
FM Vuk Jeremić says the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev comes at a time when Russia strongly supports all of Serbia’s national priorities.
He told Belgrade daily Blic on Monday that Serbia has high expectations for Medvedev’s visit, especially in terms of economic cooperation between the two countries.
"In addition to the hundreds of years of relations between the Serbian and Russian people, due to historical circumstances, this is the first official visit of a Russian president to Serbia. This is special in itself. It is further enhanced by the fact that it comes at a time when 65 years of the liberation of Belgrade in World War II is being celebrated, in which Serbia and Russia fought together to defeat fascism."
Jeremić continued to say that the case before the International Court of Justice, ICJ – asked to give its opinion on the legality of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo – is probably "the biggest case the court has ever seen".
“Serbia’s intention was to make Priština’s secession attempt as visible as possible on the international scene, and we succeeded,” Jeremić said.
The minister stated that this is an important moment for international law, since the ICJ will be looking at the legality of a unilateral act of secession anywhere in the world for the first time.
"This is the first time that all five permanent members of the UN Security Council will participate in a process, and there has never been a debate a the ICJ for which more countries have signed up to participate in," Jeremić said.
According to him, “reaction of the majority of UN member-states was positive and that Belgrade’s argument is acceptable to them.”
“If a decision is made solely on legal criteria, it is very difficult to imagine and other kind of result, except that the unilateral proclamation of independence violates international law. The fact that the most influential countries of the world signed up to participate in the process decreased the room for pressure,” the foreign minister said.
Jeremić also stated that “Serbia and the European Union have the same plans for the future of the Western Balkans, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, and that is EU membership.”
He told the newspaper that in a strategic sense, Belgrade is the most important regional center and it must be consulted in all issues related to the Balkans.
“In the last several months it has become obvious. We have hosted the U.S. vice president, visits from the Russian and Turkish presidents will follow, we have organized the summit for leaders of the countries of central and southeastern Europe, and many foreign ministers from around the world have been here. If one wishes to talk about the future of the Balkans, Belgrade has become impossible to avoid,” Jeremić was quoted as saying.
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