Jeremić reacts to "EULEX promise" comment

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic says a recent statement from U.S. ambassador to Belgrade Cameron Munter is "a part of the policy of pressures". Munter told B92 on Friday that Jeremic had promised him that Serbia will support the deployment of EULEX in the entire territory of Kosovo. Jeremic reacts to "EULEX promise" comment Today, the foreign minister said the comment was "a part of the policy of pressures, that has been elevated to the maximum level in the past couple of days". "Serbia's policy toward Kosovo will not change. We have been principled, firm, we have advocated a peaceful and compromise solution," he said in Berlin on Sunday. According to Jeremic, accepting any act that would have the effect of violating Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity has been ruled out. He went on to say that while Belgrade is ready to accept an increased EU role in the province, as part of the international civilian presence there, this presence "must be status neutral and gain explicit support from the UN Security Council". "This has been and this remains our position. We are ready to talk with everyone, to find a constructive solution, but any infringement on our country's sovereignty and territorial integrity will not happen for as long as this Serbian government is in office," Jeremic said. On Saturday, the only reaction to Munter's statement came from State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo Oliver Ivanovic, who said that Belgrade's position remains that UNMIK and KFOR missions can only be replaced by the UN Security Council. Kosovo Serbs in the north of the province have rejected this EU mission, while Belgrade said it could only come with the Security Council's approval. Ivanovic told B92 that anything short of such approval would be "illegal". "The mission is sent by the European Union, which we respect and strive towards, but it has no right or jurisdiction to unilaterally change the composition of the international mission in Kosovo," he said. But former Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic, DSS, says he is "not in the least bit" surprised by the ambassador's statement. He reminded that back in August, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said that the government must cooperate in the EULEX implementation and that it was clear then that there are contacts between the new government and the U.S. or some other international factors on this issue. "For this reason, they are avoiding to put EULEX in the resolution as a subject," Samardzic said of the ongoing wrangling in parliament where parties are attempting to harmonize the wording of a new Kosovo policy resolution. "We have been negotiating this for days. We believe it makes sense because EULEX has a certain task. They are avoiding it," he said of the ruling coalition, "because they are getting onboard this campaign, and this is a suicidal move of a state that is taking away its own territory." Germany has in the meantime also said it is encouraged by the signals coming from Belgrade, concerning the possibility that a solution for the mission's status could be found. "EULEX adds to stability and the lives of the people in this area and I recommend to the Serb authorities to view the EU mission from this angle. The mission serves the minorities who live there and this should be kept in mind," German Ambassador to Belgrade Wolfram Maas said yesterday. Although no official confirmation has come for the time being, EU representative in Kosovo Pieter Feith has recently commented that there are contacts between EULEX and the government in Belgrade on various levels. Unofficial information says that Belgrade and Brussels have for a while been trying to come up with a joint solution to the problem of the mission's deployment.

Jeremić reacts to "EULEX promise" comment

Today, the foreign minister said the comment was "a part of the policy of pressures, that has been elevated to the maximum level in the past couple of days".

"Serbia's policy toward Kosovo will not change. We have been principled, firm, we have advocated a peaceful and compromise solution," he said in Berlin on Sunday.

According to Jeremić, accepting any act that would have the effect of violating Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity has been ruled out.

He went on to say that while Belgrade is ready to accept an increased EU role in the province, as part of the international civilian presence there, this presence "must be status neutral and gain explicit support from the UN Security Council".

"This has been and this remains our position. We are ready to talk with everyone, to find a constructive solution, but any infringement on our country's sovereignty and territorial integrity will not happen for as long as this Serbian government is in office," Jeremić said.

On Saturday, the only reaction to Munter's statement came from State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo Oliver Ivanović, who said that Belgrade's position remains that UNMIK and KFOR missions can only be replaced by the UN Security Council.

Kosovo Serbs in the north of the province have rejected this EU mission, while Belgrade said it could only come with the Security Council's approval.

Ivanović told B92 that anything short of such approval would be "illegal".

"The mission is sent by the European Union, which we respect and strive towards, but it has no right or jurisdiction to unilaterally change the composition of the international mission in Kosovo," he said.

But former Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić, DSS, says he is "not in the least bit" surprised by the ambassador's statement.

He reminded that back in August, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković said that the government must cooperate in the EULEX implementation and that it was clear then that there are contacts between the new government and the U.S. or some other international factors on this issue.

"For this reason, they are avoiding to put EULEX in the resolution as a subject," Samardžić said of the ongoing wrangling in parliament where parties are attempting to harmonize the wording of a new Kosovo policy resolution.

"We have been negotiating this for days. We believe it makes sense because EULEX has a certain task. They are avoiding it," he said of the ruling coalition, "because they are getting onboard this campaign, and this is a suicidal move of a state that is taking away its own territory."

Germany has in the meantime also said it is encouraged by the signals coming from Belgrade, concerning the possibility that a solution for the mission's status could be found.

"EULEX adds to stability and the lives of the people in this area and I recommend to the Serb authorities to view the EU mission from this angle. The mission serves the minorities who live there and this should be kept in mind," German Ambassador to Belgrade Wolfram Maas said yesterday.

Although no official confirmation has come for the time being, EU representative in Kosovo Pieter Feith has recently commented that there are contacts between EULEX and the government in Belgrade on various levels.

Unofficial information says that Belgrade and Brussels have for a while been trying to come up with a joint solution to the problem of the mission's deployment.