Kosovo Serb assembly adopts declaration

The Kosovo Serb assembly unanimously adopted in Zvecan today a declaration confirming Kosovo’s constitutional status within Serbia. It also rejected all unilateral and separatist acts on the province's independence adopted by the provisional institutions in Pristina. Kosovo Serb assembly adopts declaration “Under the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and in keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and other binding legal acts, the Autonomous Province of Kosovo is part of a single and inseparable territory of the sovereign state of Serbia,” the Declaration reads. It is also underlined that the Kosovo Serb assembly rejects “all acts and actions unilaterally proclaiming the independence of Kosovo and forming institutions of the quasi-state of Kosovo” as legally null and void. “The Assembly does not recognize and rejects all decisions by the provisional organs of the Kosovo self-government on setting up the Kosovo Security Forces, because those decisions are contrary to the Constitution of Serbia and UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” reads the declaration. “The Assembly demands the Serbian government file with the International Court of Justice lawsuits against states recognizing the illegal declaration of Kosovo’s unilateral independence, thus violating the binding norms of international law, particularly the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of June 10, 1999, and other acts,” it continues. “The Assembly appeals to the Serbian government to request an urgent session of the UN Security Council, which is in keeping with Resolution 1244, to annul the decision on deployment of the EU mission (EULEX) in Kosovo, because it is, contrary to the Security Council decision, implementing Martti Ahtisaari's plan, which was not approved by the UN Security Council,” the declaration states. The Assembly also requests all institutions in Serbia to communicate on all issues regarding Kosovo only with UNMIK and KFOR, as the only legitimate UN missions in the province. Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanovic attended the session in Zvecan, which opened with the reading out of letters of support from Democratic Party of Serbia leader Vojislav Kostunica, New Serbia leader Velimir Ilic and Radical leader Vojislav Seselj. The assembly session today (Beta) Incidents undermine trust in EULEX Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic said today in Zvecan that incidents that occurred in late 2008 and early 2009 "give us the right to doubt the EULEX mission, in the part in which we agreed with the United Nations that they would be there primarily to protect all citizens of Kosovo and Metohija, to guarantee security to all citizens in Kosovo and Metohija and to be status neutral." "Unfortunately, experience from this period indicates completely different activities of the mission which was passive at the time and did not react appropriately to incidents which occurred," Bogdanovic said at a session of parliament's Committee on Kosovo and Metohija held on Tuesday in Zvecan, northern Kosovo. "This does not have to mean that we condemn in advance everything that the mission should be doing, and I primarily refer to status neutrality, observation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and non-implementation of the Martti Ahtisaari plan," the minister said and added that "our attitude will depend on the future work and activities of the mission in Kosovo andMetohija." The committee unanimously adopted conclusions requesting from the Serbian government to make strong diplomatic action in international institutions and to call for a consistent observation of international law, prevent the violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and request the observation of human and national rights in Kosovo. It was said that diplomatic activities needed to continue in accordance with the Serbian Constitution and parliament declarations on Kosovo aimed at preventing the recognition of the illegally declared independence of Serbia's southern province, to reinforce the presence of state bodies in Kosovo, and to speed up the economic strengthening of the areas populated by Serbs and other non-Albanians. The committee called upon the government to urgently make a long-term and precise strategy of sustainable survival of Serbs and other non-Albanians and return of more than 200,000 IDPs to their homes in the province, and called for unity and solidarity of all political and economic forces of Serbia in the interest of the survival of Serbs in Kosovo, and in the interest of the fight to preserve Kosovo within Serbia. Representatives of Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo were invited "not to respond to Albanian extremists' provocations and to reject the institutions of the so-called independent Kosovo". Serbian MPs travel to Kosovo Serbian MPs and ministers today traveled to Zvecan on the occasion of the first anniversary of Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration. Members of all political parties, except the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), announced their intention to journey to Zvecan. Pristina sees the visit by Belgrade MPs as yet another provocation, according to daily Koha Ditore. Speaking about the MPs’ trip to Zvecan, Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanovic said that, despite several Serbian diplomatic victories, important problems still needed to be resolved. “Kosovo’s independence has further heightened tensions, especially among Serbs and other non-Albanians, as violations of human rights, freedom of movement, right of return, and the right of return of property usurped by Albanians is still not going in the direction that Serbs and other non-Albanians would like,” said Bogdanovic. LDP member Zoran Ostojic said that members of his party would not be traveling together to Zvecan, and that the trip had not been agreed at a meeting of MP clubs. “LDP members are not even considering being party to yet another deception of Serbian citizens, whose aim is the continuity of the current mistaken policy on Kosovo. The victims of those policies are, above all, Serbs from Kosovo, as well as all citizens of Kosovo and Serbia. Continued political manipulation will bring only continuity with bad results, one of which is Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration,” said Ostojic. The Kosovo Serb assembly, meanwhile, has invited all MPs, as well as some ministers, to attend today’s session, said Assembly Speaker Ljubomir Kragovic. “That was all agreed on Feb. 11. First, at 12:00 CET, there’ll be the assembly session, then the committee sessions afterwards,” he said. Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Rame Manaj said the visit by Serbian MPs to northern Kosovo was just one more “distortion of reality” and an attempt to create the impression that Kosovo was not a state, according to Pristina media.

Kosovo Serb assembly adopts declaration

“Under the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and in keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and other binding legal acts, the Autonomous Province of Kosovo is part of a single and inseparable territory of the sovereign state of Serbia,” the Declaration reads.

It is also underlined that the Kosovo Serb assembly rejects “all acts and actions unilaterally proclaiming the independence of Kosovo and forming institutions of the quasi-state of Kosovo” as legally null and void.

“The Assembly does not recognize and rejects all decisions by the provisional organs of the Kosovo self-government on setting up the Kosovo Security Forces, because those decisions are contrary to the Constitution of Serbia and UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” reads the declaration.

“The Assembly demands the Serbian government file with the International Court of Justice lawsuits against states recognizing the illegal declaration of Kosovo’s unilateral independence, thus violating the binding norms of international law, particularly the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of June 10, 1999, and other acts,” it continues.

“The Assembly appeals to the Serbian government to request an urgent session of the UN Security Council, which is in keeping with Resolution 1244, to annul the decision on deployment of the EU mission (EULEX) in Kosovo, because it is, contrary to the Security Council decision, implementing Martti Ahtisaari's plan, which was not approved by the UN Security Council,” the declaration states.

The Assembly also requests all institutions in Serbia to communicate on all issues regarding Kosovo only with UNMIK and KFOR, as the only legitimate UN missions in the province.

Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanović attended the session in Zvečan, which opened with the reading out of letters of support from Democratic Party of Serbia leader Vojislav Koštunica, New Serbia leader Velimir Ilić and Radical leader Vojislav Šešelj.

Incidents undermine trust in EULEX

Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović said today in Zvečan that incidents that occurred in late 2008 and early 2009 "give us the right to doubt the EULEX mission, in the part in which we agreed with the United Nations that they would be there primarily to protect all citizens of Kosovo and Metohija, to guarantee security to all citizens in Kosovo and Metohija and to be status neutral."

"Unfortunately, experience from this period indicates completely different activities of the mission which was passive at the time and did not react appropriately to incidents which occurred," Bogdanović said at a session of parliament's Committee on Kosovo and Metohija held on Tuesday in Zvečan, northern Kosovo.

"This does not have to mean that we condemn in advance everything that the mission should be doing, and I primarily refer to status neutrality, observation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and non-implementation of the Martti Ahtisaari plan," the minister said and added that "our attitude will depend on the future work and activities of the mission in Kosovo andMetohija."

The committee unanimously adopted conclusions requesting from the Serbian government to make strong diplomatic action in international institutions and to call for a consistent observation of international law, prevent the violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and request the observation of human and national rights in Kosovo.

It was said that diplomatic activities needed to continue in accordance with the Serbian Constitution and parliament declarations on Kosovo aimed at preventing the recognition of the illegally declared independence of Serbia's southern province, to reinforce the presence of state bodies in Kosovo, and to speed up the economic strengthening of the areas populated by Serbs and other non-Albanians.

The committee called upon the government to urgently make a long-term and precise strategy of sustainable survival of Serbs and other non-Albanians and return of more than 200,000 IDPs to their homes in the province, and called for unity and solidarity of all political and economic forces of Serbia in the interest of the survival of Serbs in Kosovo, and in the interest of the fight to preserve Kosovo within Serbia.

Representatives of Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo were invited "not to respond to Albanian extremists' provocations and to reject the institutions of the so-called independent Kosovo".

Serbian MPs travel to Kosovo

Serbian MPs and ministers today traveled to Zvečan on the occasion of the first anniversary of Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration. Members of all political parties, except the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), announced their intention to journey to Zvečan. Priština sees the visit by Belgrade MPs as yet another provocation, according to daily Koha Ditore.

Speaking about the MPs’ trip to Zvečan, Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanović said that, despite several Serbian diplomatic victories, important problems still needed to be resolved.

“Kosovo’s independence has further heightened tensions, especially among Serbs and other non-Albanians, as violations of human rights, freedom of movement, right of return, and the right of return of property usurped by Albanians is still not going in the direction that Serbs and other non-Albanians would like,” said Bogdanović.

LDP member Zoran Ostojić said that members of his party would not be traveling together to Zvečan, and that the trip had not been agreed at a meeting of MP clubs.

“LDP members are not even considering being party to yet another deception of Serbian citizens, whose aim is the continuity of the current mistaken policy on Kosovo. The victims of those policies are, above all, Serbs from Kosovo, as well as all citizens of Kosovo and Serbia. Continued political manipulation will bring only continuity with bad results, one of which is Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration,” said Ostojić.

The Kosovo Serb assembly, meanwhile, has invited all MPs, as well as some ministers, to attend today’s session, said Assembly Speaker Ljubomir Kragović.

“That was all agreed on Feb. 11. First, at 12:00 CET, there’ll be the assembly session, then the committee sessions afterwards,” he said.

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Rame Manaj said the visit by Serbian MPs to northern Kosovo was just one more “distortion of reality” and an attempt to create the impression that Kosovo was not a state, according to Priština media.