PM wants Kosovo mentioned in SAA

PM Vojislav Kostunica has once again asked the EU to provide additional guarantees that would enable the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). "There is a good and correct solution for Serbia's relations with the EU. It is necessary to add just one more sentence to the Agreement that will prove that Kosovo is an inalienable part of Serbian territory," Kostunica, DSS, explained in an interview with Tanjug today. PM wants Kosovo mentioned in SAA "This is the right solution, and such an agreement will be acceptable for everyone in Serbia," said the prime minister, who heads the Democratic Party of Serbia-New Serbia (DSS-NS) coalition that opposes the signing of the document in the form in which it was offered prior to Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence. "Up to now, the U.S. and NATO have pursued a policy of force, and exerted strong pressure on the EU to conclude the agreement with Serbia that the U.S. and NATO can interpret as Serbia's recognition of the false state of Kosovo," he surmised. “It is with this end in mind that ‘Solana's agreement’ is now being offered for signing at Easter,” Kostunica said. "The coalition which, in spite of this warning, wants to sign ‘Solana's agreement’ can only put the signature of its own parties, but not the signature of Serbia, because the Serbian parliament’s resolution adopted on December 26, 2007 frules anything like that out," the prime minister reiterated. He said that "therefore, the NATO Alliance has to know in advance that no Serbian signatures will be put on Solana's agreement, and that the US and NATO will not be able to interpret such a signature as Serbian recognition of Kosovo as the first NATO state." "In order to avoid all these problems and further complications, the best and only reasonable solution is to insert one more vital sentence into the Agreement’s text—that Kosovo belongs to Serbia—which represents a simple and good solution, the only solution that is founded on law," Kostunica concluded. Vojislav Kostunica (Tanjug) Djelic can sign, insists justice minister Justice Minister Dusan Petrovic says that Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic has the power to sign the SAA with the EU. Petrovic (DS) said that if it were offered, Djelic would sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. Responding to questions posed to him by citizens via telephone, Petrovic said that according to the Vienna convention, President Boris Tadic, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica would all be able to sign the agreement. "Kostunica is not right when he says that no one has the right to sign the SAA” the minister insisted, adding that he was using that argument as a campaign tactic. He said that the prime minister did not have the right to challenge a decision that had already been taken by the government, giving Djelic the authority to sign the SAA. This could only be done by the government as a whole. Petrovic said that Serbia had no alternative to European integration, and that it would make a big decision on May 11, “at the second half of the presidential elections.” Democratic Party officials will continue to answer citizens’ questions today at their call center in central Belgrade.

PM wants Kosovo mentioned in SAA

"This is the right solution, and such an agreement will be acceptable for everyone in Serbia," said the prime minister, who heads the Democratic Party of Serbia-New Serbia (DSS-NS) coalition that opposes the signing of the document in the form in which it was offered prior to Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence.

"Up to now, the U.S. and NATO have pursued a policy of force, and exerted strong pressure on the EU to conclude the agreement with Serbia that the U.S. and NATO can interpret as Serbia's recognition of the false state of Kosovo," he surmised.

“It is with this end in mind that ‘Solana's agreement’ is now being offered for signing at Easter,” Koštunica said.

"The coalition which, in spite of this warning, wants to sign ‘Solana's agreement’ can only put the signature of its own parties, but not the signature of Serbia, because the Serbian parliament’s resolution adopted on December 26, 2007 frules anything like that out," the prime minister reiterated.

He said that "therefore, the NATO Alliance has to know in advance that no Serbian signatures will be put on Solana's agreement, and that the US and NATO will not be able to interpret such a signature as Serbian recognition of Kosovo as the first NATO state."

"In order to avoid all these problems and further complications, the best and only reasonable solution is to insert one more vital sentence into the Agreement’s text—that Kosovo belongs to Serbia—which represents a simple and good solution, the only solution that is founded on law," Koštunica concluded.

Đelić can sign, insists justice minister

Justice Minister Dušan Petrović says that Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić has the power to sign the SAA with the EU.

Petrović (DS) said that if it were offered, Đelić would sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU.

Responding to questions posed to him by citizens via telephone, Petrović said that according to the Vienna convention, President Boris Tadić, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić and Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica would all be able to sign the agreement.

"Koštunica is not right when he says that no one has the right to sign the SAA” the minister insisted, adding that he was using that argument as a campaign tactic.

He said that the prime minister did not have the right to challenge a decision that had already been taken by the government, giving Đelić the authority to sign the SAA. This could only be done by the government as a whole.

Petrović said that Serbia had no alternative to European integration, and that it would make a big decision on May 11, “at the second half of the presidential elections.”

Democratic Party officials will continue to answer citizens’ questions today at their call center in central Belgrade.