FM: Serbia guarding own interests

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic says Serbia has made its priorities and red lines very clear when it comes to the country’s approach to international relations. "Serbia is sometimes rebuked for acting transparently when it is defining its national interests, which, in fact, every other state does too. As long as I am the foreign minister, I won't be ashamed to state in public what Serbia’s stand is or what its national interests are," Jeremic said in an interview for Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti published today. FM: Serbia guarding own interests Speaking of Serbia's accession to the European Union (EU), Jeremic said Serbia was in contact with all EU countries. "It is the sovereign decision of the Netherlands to raise its barrier, but Serbia will not forsake its European future for the Netherlands or anyone else. It is much more important that we do not fall by the wayside on the path of reforms, and that our society should reach the level of characteristics necessary for EU membership," the foreign minister said. As far as the practical implementation of the six-point plan agreed with the United Nations (UN) and the deployment of the EU mission to Kosovo were concerned, he said these two things were envisaged as taking place simultaneously and as soon as possible. "It is not good to have a vacuum in the reconfiguration process. Having guaranteed EULEX’s status neutrality, there is no more reason to delay the deployment of that mission. We were one of the key players in negotiations on reconfiguration, as we are now in its realization. Serbia is ready," the minister stressed. “Unfortunately, Pristina has remained the sole opponent among all UN members to the agreement, which has also been confirmed by the Security Council,” he said, adding that he hoped Pristina would not obstruct the binding will of the UN Security Council. Asked whether it was possible to implement an agreement with the UN if one side opposed it, Jeremic said that the new agreement meant that the Ahtisaari plan was dead and buried once and for all. “That wasn’t a plan for status neutrality, but a plan for Kosovo independence. We now have a status neutral international civil presence. The UN Security Council’s decision means that the Ahtisaari recipe for implementing Kosovo’s independence through EULEX has been put on ice,” said the minister. “Certain people tried to resolve the issue of Kosovo’s future status by bypassing international law, while Serbia managed to return the process from a completely illegal position into an institutional position via the UN General Assembly, transferring it to the International Court of Justice,” he explained. “After attempts were made to reconfigure administration in the province ‘extra-institutionally’, it was returned to UN institutions, again at Serbia’s initiative. That’s our greatest diplomatic success,” said Jeremic. The minister called the initiative to alter the Kumanovo Agreement legitimate “because that agreement limits Serbia’s operative activities on its own territory. The Kumanovo agreement treated Serbia as a problem for the region’s peace and stability, but that time has come and gone.” In conclusion, he said that no-one could, with clear conscience, deny that Serbia was cooperating fully with the Hague Tribunal. “That's more than plain for everyone to see. Therefore, anyone who says otherwise is using it as a means of raising other aims—be they internal of foreign political,” said Jeremic. “So we shouldn’t worry about that too much, but just get on with our jobs—continuing work on meeting the criteria for membership. Sooner or later, the fact that we’re cooperating with the Hague will prove irrefutable,” the minister underlined. Vuk Jeremic (FoNet, archive)

FM: Serbia guarding own interests

Speaking of Serbia's accession to the European Union (EU), Jeremić said Serbia was in contact with all EU countries.

"It is the sovereign decision of the Netherlands to raise its barrier, but Serbia will not forsake its European future for the Netherlands or anyone else. It is much more important that we do not fall by the wayside on the path of reforms, and that our society should reach the level of characteristics necessary for EU membership," the foreign minister said.

As far as the practical implementation of the six-point plan agreed with the United Nations (UN) and the deployment of the EU mission to Kosovo were concerned, he said these two things were envisaged as taking place simultaneously and as soon as possible.

"It is not good to have a vacuum in the reconfiguration process. Having guaranteed EULEX’s status neutrality, there is no more reason to delay the deployment of that mission. We were one of the key players in negotiations on reconfiguration, as we are now in its realization. Serbia is ready," the minister stressed.

“Unfortunately, Priština has remained the sole opponent among all UN members to the agreement, which has also been confirmed by the Security Council,” he said, adding that he hoped Pristina would not obstruct the binding will of the UN Security Council.

Asked whether it was possible to implement an agreement with the UN if one side opposed it, Jeremić said that the new agreement meant that the Ahtisaari plan was dead and buried once and for all.

“That wasn’t a plan for status neutrality, but a plan for Kosovo independence. We now have a status neutral international civil presence. The UN Security Council’s decision means that the Ahtisaari recipe for implementing Kosovo’s independence through EULEX has been put on ice,” said the minister.

“Certain people tried to resolve the issue of Kosovo’s future status by bypassing international law, while Serbia managed to return the process from a completely illegal position into an institutional position via the UN General Assembly, transferring it to the International Court of Justice,” he explained.

“After attempts were made to reconfigure administration in the province ‘extra-institutionally’, it was returned to UN institutions, again at Serbia’s initiative. That’s our greatest diplomatic success,” said Jeremić.

The minister called the initiative to alter the Kumanovo Agreement legitimate “because that agreement limits Serbia’s operative activities on its own territory. The Kumanovo agreement treated Serbia as a problem for the region’s peace and stability, but that time has come and gone.”

In conclusion, he said that no-one could, with clear conscience, deny that Serbia was cooperating fully with the Hague Tribunal.

“That's more than plain for everyone to see. Therefore, anyone who says otherwise is using it as a means of raising other aims—be they internal of foreign political,” said Jeremić.

“So we shouldn’t worry about that too much, but just get on with our jobs—continuing work on meeting the criteria for membership. Sooner or later, the fact that we’re cooperating with the Hague will prove irrefutable,” the minister underlined.