We won’t give Kosovo away, president says

BELGRADE Germany should understand that it is no use trying to blackmail us into slitting our wrists or committing suicide, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic says. He added that Serbia would not "give Kosovo away". We won’t give Kosovo away, president says “If Serbia lived its life while thinking what Germany would do, it could not move forward. We have done everything possible, with open hearts regarding our citizens and a clear conscience regarding the EU,” Nikolic said and noted that Serbia was being put to the test whether it would get a date for the start of the EU accession negotiations or not, Beta and Mondo have reported. “We have been through bigger ordeals, we will get through this too,” the president said when asked about Belgrade’s expectations from German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle’s visit. “Germany should understand that it is no use trying to blackmail us into slitting our wrists or committing suicide. We are not giving Kosovo away. And Bundestag should think about what kind of a decision it would make if it were about Germany,” Nikolic stressed. He added he was optimistic and that the government deserved to be rewarded for its work in the past year “so we could do even more and better”. “A negative decision of any parliament or the European Council could strengthen European skepticism. It would be hard to get the citizens to be willing to endure something else then,” the Serbian president underscored. He stressed, however, that the citizens should not “despair” if Serbia did not get the date for the beginning of the EU accession talks. “Serbia should continue to organize itself and to try to enable a better life to citizens with investments from other sides if they do no come from the EU. To see whether their objections are reasonable, whether we can eliminate them, or if they are unreasonable and ask for the recognition of Kosovo and Metohija. If they are unreasonable, we will have to turn the other way. But I hope we will achieve the EU goal as well,” the president told Belgrade-based Prva TV. Tomislav Nikolic (Tanjug, file) Mondo

We won’t give Kosovo away, president says

“If Serbia lived its life while thinking what Germany would do, it could not move forward. We have done everything possible, with open hearts regarding our citizens and a clear conscience regarding the EU,” Nikolić said and noted that Serbia was being put to the test whether it would get a date for the start of the EU accession negotiations or not, Beta and Mondo have reported.

“We have been through bigger ordeals, we will get through this too,” the president said when asked about Belgrade’s expectations from German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle’s visit.

“Germany should understand that it is no use trying to blackmail us into slitting our wrists or committing suicide. We are not giving Kosovo away. And Bundestag should think about what kind of a decision it would make if it were about Germany,” Nikolić stressed.

He added he was optimistic and that the government deserved to be rewarded for its work in the past year “so we could do even more and better”.

“A negative decision of any parliament or the European Council could strengthen European skepticism. It would be hard to get the citizens to be willing to endure something else then,” the Serbian president underscored.

He stressed, however, that the citizens should not “despair” if Serbia did not get the date for the beginning of the EU accession talks.

“Serbia should continue to organize itself and to try to enable a better life to citizens with investments from other sides if they do no come from the EU. To see whether their objections are reasonable, whether we can eliminate them, or if they are unreasonable and ask for the recognition of Kosovo and Metohija. If they are unreasonable, we will have to turn the other way. But I hope we will achieve the EU goal as well,” the president told Belgrade-based Prva TV.