"No troops in Kosovo in case of independence"

Belgrade will "strongly back" Kosovo Serbs in case of a declaration of independence, but will not send in troops. Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic (DSS) told Vienna daily Die Presse Thursday that Serbia would not stage a military intervention in case of a unilateral proclamation of the southern Serbian province's independence, but that it would rather back Serbs and other-non Albanians "even more strongly". "No troops in Kosovo in case of independence" "We would not intervene directly with our army, but we would keep our institutions in Kosovo," Samardzic told the newspaper. "The Serb population in the province would continue to have strong ties with Belgrade as regards education, infrastructure, the health care system and many other fields," he specified. "We would have complete parallel institutions, and we would support the local Serbs and other non-Albanians even more strongly," Samardzic said. The minister pointed out that Belgrade advocated in favor of Kosovo's demilitarization. "There should be no army whatsoever in Kosovo, except for the temporary presence of international troops," he said. "We are not threatening with military intervention should Kosovo's independence be proclaimed, but it has to be clear to everyone that such an act would represent an open threat to Serbia," Samardzic underlined. As far as the course so far of the negotiations on Kosovo, Samardzic said that there had been no opportunity for direct talks about the status issue. "The Western countries of the Contact Group tolerated such an attitude from the Albanian side," he said, adding that "in a way, those countries backed the ethnic Albanian demand for secession."

"No troops in Kosovo in case of independence"

"We would not intervene directly with our army, but we would keep our institutions in Kosovo," Samardžić told the newspaper.

"The Serb population in the province would continue to have strong ties with Belgrade as regards education, infrastructure, the health care system and many other fields," he specified.

"We would have complete parallel institutions, and we would support the local Serbs and other non-Albanians even more strongly," Samardžić said.

The minister pointed out that Belgrade advocated in favor of Kosovo's demilitarization.

"There should be no army whatsoever in Kosovo, except for the temporary presence of international troops," he said.

"We are not threatening with military intervention should Kosovo's independence be proclaimed, but it has to be clear to everyone that such an act would represent an open threat to Serbia," Samardžić underlined.

As far as the course so far of the negotiations on Kosovo, Samardžić said that there had been no opportunity for direct talks about the status issue.

"The Western countries of the Contact Group tolerated such an attitude from the Albanian side," he said, adding that "in a way, those countries backed the ethnic Albanian demand for secession."