Minister for Kosovo on "essential compromise"

Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic has stated that Serbs entering into Kosovo institutions is not unrealistic. “However, it is necessary for the international community to offer a framework that would create prerequisites and enable such access,” he said. Minister for Kosovo on "essential compromise" “The practice between 2001 and 2004 proves it, but as things stand now the entring of Serbs into Kosovo institutions is not possible,” Bogdanovic told daily Danas. “We’re open for talks about all options that lead to an essential and sustainable compromise. Belgrade’s position is well-known – dialogue is the only way to solve the Kosovo issue but a boundary is also well-known – a red line below which we cannot and will not go,” he said. When asked on which conditions Serbia could accept Kosovo’s accession into the Council of Europe (CoE) and OSCE, the minister for Kosovo replied that it depended on an agreement with Pristina which would also include the issue of international representation. “If Pristina filed a request for admission into the UN Belgrade would block this or any similar initiative,” he said and pointed out that an essential compromise was the only way to change that. According to him, the central topic of the future dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina should be the status but also issues such as security and position of Serbian and other non-Albanian communities, protection of the Serbian cultural heritage, decentralization, economic and ownership issues, rule of law, transport, infrastructure and other issues. Bogdanovic has assessed that if Kosovo Albanians were "willing to give up proving certain positions, mediators in the negotiations would not even be necessary". “On the other hand, one should be aware of the reality – mediation in a dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade is necessary. The central role is intended for the EU, but an important role, due to its experience and influence, will certainly be with the UN. It’s quite logical to expect some permanent members of the UN Security Council such as Russia and U.S. to take part in it too,” he stressed. The minister for Kosovo repeated that as far as regional meetings and organizations were concerned, Kosovo-UNMIK was the only form that Serbia could accept for Pristina's representation, and added that the only way to change that was to reach an essential compromise with the Kosovo Albanian side. Goran Bogdanovic (Tanjug, file)

Minister for Kosovo on "essential compromise"

“The practice between 2001 and 2004 proves it, but as things stand now the entring of Serbs into Kosovo institutions is not possible,” Bogdanović told daily Danas.

“We’re open for talks about all options that lead to an essential and sustainable compromise. Belgrade’s position is well-known – dialogue is the only way to solve the Kosovo issue but a boundary is also well-known – a red line below which we cannot and will not go,” he said.

When asked on which conditions Serbia could accept Kosovo’s accession into the Council of Europe (CoE) and OSCE, the minister for Kosovo replied that it depended on an agreement with Priština which would also include the issue of international representation.

“If Priština filed a request for admission into the UN Belgrade would block this or any similar initiative,” he said and pointed out that an essential compromise was the only way to change that.

According to him, the central topic of the future dialogue between Belgrade and Priština should be the status but also issues such as security and position of Serbian and other non-Albanian communities, protection of the Serbian cultural heritage, decentralization, economic and ownership issues, rule of law, transport, infrastructure and other issues.

Bogdanović has assessed that if Kosovo Albanians were "willing to give up proving certain positions, mediators in the negotiations would not even be necessary".

“On the other hand, one should be aware of the reality – mediation in a dialogue between Priština and Belgrade is necessary. The central role is intended for the EU, but an important role, due to its experience and influence, will certainly be with the UN. It’s quite logical to expect some permanent members of the UN Security Council such as Russia and U.S. to take part in it too,” he stressed.

The minister for Kosovo repeated that as far as regional meetings and organizations were concerned, Kosovo-UNMIK was the only form that Serbia could accept for Priština's representation, and added that the only way to change that was to reach an essential compromise with the Kosovo Albanian side.