Koštunica: UN will never grant Kosovo independence

The Serbian government held a session Thursday to mark its 100 days in office. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica told his cabinet that the danger of the UN Security Council "ever adopting a resolution that would serve as a basis for the stripping of Serbia of Kosovo" had been "permanently removed", Beta news agency reported. Kostunica: UN will never grant Kosovo independence "We have managed to permanently remove the danger of the UN Security Council ever making a decision on stripping Serbia of a large part of its territory." "The guarantee that such a danger has been completely removed is the joint policy being conducted by Serbia and the Russian Federation," Kostunica said at the session, which was open to the public during his report on the first 100 days of work. Among the biggest successes according to Kostunica are the joint policy of Serbia and Russia in defending the UN Charter and international law, the launching of a new negotiating process and the withdrawal of negotiator Martti Ahtisaari. "That way we managed to prevent the UN Security Council from adopting a new resolution based on Martti Ahtisaari's plan that would enable the legal declaration of Kosovo's independence," he said. Kostunica went on to say that for that reason the government's main activity must be "a direct warning to the international community about such intentions of the Albanian separatists". If a state unilaterally recognizes the potential independence of Kosovo, the Serbian government will find a way to best respond to attacks on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he stressed. The prime minister described work on Serbia's Euro-Atlantic integration as successful, adding that the technical part of the Stabilization and Association Agreement talks with the EU were to wrap up on September 10. Kostunica said that "all measures were being" taken to finalize cooperation with the Hague tribunal, and added that Serbia had "firm resolve and great political will" to do so. Vojislav Kostunica (FoNet)

Koštunica: UN will never grant Kosovo independence

"We have managed to permanently remove the danger of the UN Security Council ever making a decision on stripping Serbia of a large part of its territory."

"The guarantee that such a danger has been completely removed is the joint policy being conducted by Serbia and the Russian Federation," Koštunica said at the session, which was open to the public during his report on the first 100 days of work.

Among the biggest successes according to Koštunica are the joint policy of Serbia and Russia in defending the UN Charter and international law, the launching of a new negotiating process and the withdrawal of negotiator Martti Ahtisaari.

"That way we managed to prevent the UN Security Council from adopting a new resolution based on Martti Ahtisaari's plan that would enable the legal declaration of Kosovo's independence," he said.

Koštunica went on to say that for that reason the government's main activity must be "a direct warning to the international community about such intentions of the Albanian separatists".

If a state unilaterally recognizes the potential independence of Kosovo, the Serbian government will find a way to best respond to attacks on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he stressed.

The prime minister described work on Serbia's Euro-Atlantic integration as successful, adding that the technical part of the Stabilization and Association Agreement talks with the EU were to wrap up on September 10.

Koštunica said that "all measures were being" taken to finalize cooperation with the Hague tribunal, and added that Serbia had "firm resolve and great political will" to do so.