Jeremić: Two scenarios likely after Dec. 10

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic says that "respect for European values may lead to a compromise over Kosovo." Jeremic was giving a lecture to Serbia Army (VS) officers attending the General Staff school when he reiterated Belgrade's opposition to any deadlines for ending the negotiations over the future status of Kosovo. Jeremic: Two scenarios likely after Dec. 10 The current phase of the status settlement process for the province is set to end on December 10, when The Contact Group mediating Troika will report to the UN secretary-general. Jeremic told the young officers in Belgrade Saturday that the only way to put vital interests of Serbia into practice is "to be diplomatically active and agile." He added that Serbia was "ready for a flexible approach to finding a compromise solution to Kosovo and Metohija while preserving sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in that way preserving stability in the region and in the world." As for the period after December 10, the minister said that unless a compromise solution was agreed on by that time, "there could be two scenarios." One scenario could mean unilateral moves, which would jeopardize security and stability not only in our region, Jeremic warned. According to him, the second scenario would mean that the international community concludes it is "necessary to continue to seek a compromise solution to the future status of Kosovo and Metohija." "Only then the Albanian side would understand that something has to be given and abandon its positions," Jeremic said, and pointed to the importance of future decisions of the European Union, which wants to integrate the Western Balkans in order to remove the danger of future instability. He said that the future status of Kosovo should be resolved "in keeping with European values" and that Serbia "cannot give up either its territorial integrity and sovereignty, or its path towards the European Union." VS officers listen to Jeremic's lecture Saturday (FoNet)

Jeremić: Two scenarios likely after Dec. 10

The current phase of the status settlement process for the province is set to end on December 10, when The Contact Group mediating Troika will report to the UN secretary-general.

Jeremić told the young officers in Belgrade Saturday that the only way to put vital interests of Serbia into practice is "to be diplomatically active and agile."

He added that Serbia was "ready for a flexible approach to finding a compromise solution to Kosovo and Metohija while preserving sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in that way preserving stability in the region and in the world."

As for the period after December 10, the minister said that unless a compromise solution was agreed on by that time, "there could be two scenarios."

One scenario could mean unilateral moves, which would jeopardize security and stability not only in our region, Jeremić warned.

According to him, the second scenario would mean that the international community concludes it is "necessary to continue to seek a compromise solution to the future status of Kosovo and Metohija."

"Only then the Albanian side would understand that something has to be given and abandon its positions," Jeremić said, and pointed to the importance of future decisions of the European Union, which wants to integrate the Western Balkans in order to remove the danger of future instability.

He said that the future status of Kosovo should be resolved "in keeping with European values" and that Serbia "cannot give up either its territorial integrity and sovereignty, or its path towards the European Union."