“Govt. in secret NATO membership talks”

Opposition DSS leader Vojislav Kostunica says the current Serbian government is “secretly negotiating with NATO officials”. The subject of these talks, according to Kostunica, who spoke in Kosovska Mitrovica on Sunday, is Serbia's membership in the western military alliance. “Govt. in secret NATO membership talks” Kostunica stated that all this came despite a parliamentary resolution passed in 2007, which declared Serbia a militarily neutral country. He said that the last year's NATO Summit supported the Serbian government's commitment to becoming a NATO member state, adding that the NATO secretary-general had recently stated that “he would do his best in order for Serbia to join NATO, talking the approach of one step at a time, as the Serbian side requested”. Kostunica also urged the government to call early parliamentary elections in the country, expressing doubt that it can govern efficiently with a majority of 126 MPs. Apart from Kostunica, other DSS party members also spoke at the panel discussion in the northern Kosovo town, which came ahead of early local elections, scheduled for next week in the municipalities of Kosovska Mitrovica and Novo Brdo. Before the gathering in Kosovska Mitrovica, a session of the DSS main board was held in the northern town of Zvecan. DSS wants “confirmation of neutrality” DSS officials touched again on the subject this Monday in Belgrade when party spokesman Petar Petkovic told a news conference that state officials should address once again the Serbian citizens and the international community, making it clear that Serbia is a militarily neutral country. Reacting to the statements by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen who called on Serbia to look into the future, since the country's perspective is EU and NATO integration, despite the skeptical attitude it has toward the Alliance, Petkovic said that Serbian citizens should hold a referendum at which they would state their opinion on the country's possible NATO membership. Petkovic added that a resolution on the country's military neutrality was adopted in the Serbian parliament in 2007. The DSS spokesman reminded that 200 renowned figures signed a petition early this year, whereby they stated that the citizens are the only ones who can decide on NATO accession. Commenting on Rasmussen's statement that he will do his best in order for Serbia to join NATO, with the approach one step at a time, as the Serbian side requested, Petkovic asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic to explain “which Serbian side was it that requested NATO membership”. “This is not the first time that a NATO high official is urging Serbia to join the Alliance, claiming that it is Serbia that (allegedly) requested it,” Petkovic said and added that “secret negotiations on the NATO's entering Serbia through the back door were under way”.

“Govt. in secret NATO membership talks”

Koštunica stated that all this came despite a parliamentary resolution passed in 2007, which declared Serbia a militarily neutral country.

He said that the last year's NATO Summit supported the Serbian government's commitment to becoming a NATO member state, adding that the NATO secretary-general had recently stated that “he would do his best in order for Serbia to join NATO, talking the approach of one step at a time, as the Serbian side requested”.

Koštunica also urged the government to call early parliamentary elections in the country, expressing doubt that it can govern efficiently with a majority of 126 MPs.

Apart from Koštunica, other DSS party members also spoke at the panel discussion in the northern Kosovo town, which came ahead of early local elections, scheduled for next week in the municipalities of Kosovska Mitrovica and Novo Brdo.

Before the gathering in Kosovska Mitrovica, a session of the DSS main board was held in the northern town of Zvečan.

DSS wants “confirmation of neutrality”

DSS officials touched again on the subject this Monday in Belgrade when party spokesman Petar Petković told a news conference that state officials should address once again the Serbian citizens and the international community, making it clear that Serbia is a militarily neutral country.

Reacting to the statements by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen who called on Serbia to look into the future, since the country's perspective is EU and NATO integration, despite the skeptical attitude it has toward the Alliance, Petković said that Serbian citizens should hold a referendum at which they would state their opinion on the country's possible NATO membership.

Petković added that a resolution on the country's military neutrality was adopted in the Serbian parliament in 2007.

The DSS spokesman reminded that 200 renowned figures signed a petition early this year, whereby they stated that the citizens are the only ones who can decide on NATO accession.

Commenting on Rasmussen's statement that he will do his best in order for Serbia to join NATO, with the approach one step at a time, as the Serbian side requested, Petković asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremić to explain “which Serbian side was it that requested NATO membership”.

“This is not the first time that a NATO high official is urging Serbia to join the Alliance, claiming that it is Serbia that (allegedly) requested it,” Petković said and added that “secret negotiations on the NATO's entering Serbia through the back door were under way”.