Minister for Kosovo: We'll never give up

Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic said on Monday that the country will "never give up its fight for Kosovo". "Kosovo and Metohija is an integral part of the Republic of Serbia, and the unilateral decision of the temporary institutions to declare independence of Kosovo is in contravention to Resolution 1244 and international law," he said. Minister for Kosovo: We'll never give up This act by the Kosovo Albanians has complicated relations in the region, Europe, "and one could say in the world as well", the minister stated, adding that it caused the province's Serbs and other non-Albanians to feel additionally upset. "This act did not contribute to stability. On the contrary, it brought additional disturbance to Kosovo, that is unsettled as it is." Bodganovic reminded that in the past year Serbia has done everything to annul this declared independence, primarily through the UN Security Council, and that for the first time it scored "two big successes": first with the UN General Assembly's adoption of the ICJ initiative and then with EULEX's deployment "under the conditions that the state of Serbia had agreed on with the UN". "Our position on this issue is well known. We will use all means, primarily legal and diplomatic, to fight to preserve Kosovo and Metohija as part of the state of Serbia. Anything else that comes from Pristina, or ideas that Serbia should recognize independence of its own province, and establish good neighborly relations with it, is unacceptable. Not only for this government, but for every government that will be formed in Serbia in the future," said the minister. Oliver Ivanovic, a state secretary with Bogdanovic's ministry, also spoke today to say that the Serb community will ignore the upcoming celebration of the anniversary of the province's unilaterally declared independence. "No doubt the Albanians will celebrate on Feb. 17, but as far as the Serb community is concerned, we will ignore it, just like we did a year ago. For us this independence never happened, we are part of the Republic of Serbia and there will be no changes there." The international community, he continued, must realized that the Ahtisaari plan cannot be implemented, and that the only way out of the current situation is the six-point plan. "Serbs in Kosovo live in uncertainty both legally and physically, and that can change only if they participate in police and judiciary, but not in police and judiciary of the independent state of Kosovo, but under the control and supervision of the international community," said Ivanovic. Meantime in Belgrade, daily Politika quoted opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Cedomir Jovanovic as saying that, "in order to guarantee the survival of the Serbs in Kosovo", a deal with Kosovo's Albanians should not be ruled out "that would include Kosovo's independence". Jovanovic told the daily this was a plan, which he referred to as, "Territory for equality", and that his party is "trying to explain that Serbia will have much more use if it transfers the right to administer, which it cannot achieve, to those who live in Kosovo, both Albanians and Serbs". "Thanks to such a position, relations between Serbia and Kosovo would be affirmed on a much higher level than the relations between two neighboring countries, or one country that cannot control a part of its territory and is therefore in conflict with those who live on that territory," Jovanovic, who is also an MP in Serbia's parliament, was quoted as saying. Bogdanovic and Ivanovic are seen in Belgrade recently (Tanjug)

Minister for Kosovo: We'll never give up

This act by the Kosovo Albanians has complicated relations in the region, Europe, "and one could say in the world as well", the minister stated, adding that it caused the province's Serbs and other non-Albanians to feel additionally upset.

"This act did not contribute to stability. On the contrary, it brought additional disturbance to Kosovo, that is unsettled as it is."

Bodganović reminded that in the past year Serbia has done everything to annul this declared independence, primarily through the UN Security Council, and that for the first time it scored "two big successes": first with the UN General Assembly's adoption of the ICJ initiative and then with EULEX's deployment "under the conditions that the state of Serbia had agreed on with the UN".

"Our position on this issue is well known. We will use all means, primarily legal and diplomatic, to fight to preserve Kosovo and Metohija as part of the state of Serbia. Anything else that comes from Priština, or ideas that Serbia should recognize independence of its own province, and establish good neighborly relations with it, is unacceptable. Not only for this government, but for every government that will be formed in Serbia in the future," said the minister.

Oliver Ivanović, a state secretary with Bogdanović's ministry, also spoke today to say that the Serb community will ignore the upcoming celebration of the anniversary of the province's unilaterally declared independence.

"No doubt the Albanians will celebrate on Feb. 17, but as far as the Serb community is concerned, we will ignore it, just like we did a year ago. For us this independence never happened, we are part of the Republic of Serbia and there will be no changes there."

The international community, he continued, must realized that the Ahtisaari plan cannot be implemented, and that the only way out of the current situation is the six-point plan.

"Serbs in Kosovo live in uncertainty both legally and physically, and that can change only if they participate in police and judiciary, but not in police and judiciary of the independent state of Kosovo, but under the control and supervision of the international community," said Ivanović.

Meantime in Belgrade, daily Politika quoted opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Čedomir Jovanović as saying that, "in order to guarantee the survival of the Serbs in Kosovo", a deal with Kosovo's Albanians should not be ruled out "that would include Kosovo's independence".

Jovanović told the daily this was a plan, which he referred to as, "Territory for equality", and that his party is "trying to explain that Serbia will have much more use if it transfers the right to administer, which it cannot achieve, to those who live in Kosovo, both Albanians and Serbs".

"Thanks to such a position, relations between Serbia and Kosovo would be affirmed on a much higher level than the relations between two neighboring countries, or one country that cannot control a part of its territory and is therefore in conflict with those who live on that territory," Jovanović, who is also an MP in Serbia's parliament, was quoted as saying.