Nikolić: I don't think I'll be president in Priština

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said on Tuesday that a consensus on Kosovo must be reached in Serbia. This means a united stance regarding the extent to which the interim institutions in Pristina - i.e., Kosovo Albanian authorities - can govern and what borders the state of Serbia can stand behind in Kosovo. Nikolic: I don't think I'll be president in Pristina "I don't think I will ever again be president in Pristina, but the president of the interim authorities in Pristina will also never be president in Kosovska Mitrovica," he told reporters, in reference to the Serb-majority north which rejects the authority of the Pristina government and the unilateral declaration of independence made by ethnic Albanians in early 2008. According to Nikolic, who spoke to reporters as he toured a farm in the village of Melenci, the state needs to reach a consensus on "what Kosovo is" and how it will treat it. He also stressed that Serbia needed a united stance regarding the extent to which the interim institutions in Pristina can govern, what borders Serbia could stand behind, and how it would react in case of unpleasant incidents indicating that the Pristina institutions wanted to exercise their authority in the entire province. Nikolic added that the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, Serb enclaves in the south and the four Serb municipalities in the north in relation to the Pristina authorities needed to be determined, as well as Serbia's stance at international conferences and the conditions under which it would take part: "We need to decide that Kosovo is ours and the government and the opposition need to take a united stand, because this is the only way we can be strong." Asked whether there were new conditions related to Kosovo, Nikolic said that the expectation that Serbia would establish "good relations with its neighboring state of Kosovo was already in the air". "They do not need to draw things for us or tell us anything else," he said. Those who have recognized Kosovo's independence want it to be full independence, noted Nikolic, adding that "we who do not accept this, and who have been elected by the people, want this to never happen". "If we remain miles apart, the talks will be fruitless," the president said, adding it was important for the two sides to sit down and try to bring their positions closer together. Reporters asked New Serbia leader Velimir Ilic, whose party is in pre-election alliance with Nikolic's Progressives (SNS), whether the president's statements today "in fact spoke about a possible parition of KOsovo". Ilic responded by saying that "perhaps the president of Serbia knows something others do not", and added that "everything that the previous government signed related to Kosovo must be respected". Tomislav Nikolic is seen in Melenci on Tuesday (Tanjug) Tanjug

Nikolić: I don't think I'll be president in Priština

"I don't think I will ever again be president in Priština, but the president of the interim authorities in Priština will also never be president in Kosovska Mitrovica," he told reporters, in reference to the Serb-majority north which rejects the authority of the Priština government and the unilateral declaration of independence made by ethnic Albanians in early 2008.

According to Nikolić, who spoke to reporters as he toured a farm in the village of Melenci, the state needs to reach a consensus on "what Kosovo is" and how it will treat it.

He also stressed that Serbia needed a united stance regarding the extent to which the interim institutions in Priština can govern, what borders Serbia could stand behind, and how it would react in case of unpleasant incidents indicating that the Priština institutions wanted to exercise their authority in the entire province.

Nikolić added that the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, Serb enclaves in the south and the four Serb municipalities in the north in relation to the Priština authorities needed to be determined, as well as Serbia's stance at international conferences and the conditions under which it would take part:

"We need to decide that Kosovo is ours and the government and the opposition need to take a united stand, because this is the only way we can be strong."

Asked whether there were new conditions related to Kosovo, Nikolić said that the expectation that Serbia would establish "good relations with its neighboring state of Kosovo was already in the air".

"They do not need to draw things for us or tell us anything else," he said.

Those who have recognized Kosovo's independence want it to be full independence, noted Nikolić, adding that "we who do not accept this, and who have been elected by the people, want this to never happen".

"If we remain miles apart, the talks will be fruitless," the president said, adding it was important for the two sides to sit down and try to bring their positions closer together.

Reporters asked New Serbia leader Velimir Ilić, whose party is in pre-election alliance with Nikolić's Progressives (SNS), whether the president's statements today "in fact spoke about a possible parition of KOsovo".

Ilić responded by saying that "perhaps the president of Serbia knows something others do not", and added that "everything that the previous government signed related to Kosovo must be respected".