“Someone wants Kosovo talks to fail”

The choice of the head of the Belgrade team in Kosovo talks "indicates they will fail", says Belgrade Center for Human Rights Director Vojin Dimitrijevic. He told B92 that it could be concluded that somebody wanted the negotiations to fail or expected them to. “Someone wants Kosovo talks to fail” Belgrade media report that Political Director of the Serbian Foreign Ministry Borko Stefanovic has been appointed head of the Serbian government’s negotiating team. “We can make such conclusions based on fact that technical level of negotiations is insisted on and that a man at a relatively low level and with relatively little experience, especially when it comes to Kosovo, has been chosen to be the team head,” Dimitrijevic pointed out. He says that if the state wanted the negotiations to be successful it would appoint “somebody who has authority and enough respect of the other side” as a head of the team who would push the negotiations. Dimitrijevic added that platform for the negotiations was secret but that it would be in accordance with the Constitution. “If it’s based on the Constitution it’s a preamble then and that means that they would be relentless and that Kosovo can only be a province,” he explained. Vojin Dimitrijevic (Tanjug, file) WikiLeaks case - democratization of espionage Dimitrijevic stated today regarding publication of confidential U.S. government’s documents by WikiLeaks that each fight against secret diplomacy and nontransparent work was in the interest of democracy and added that this was “democratization of espionage”. According to him, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s move, which represents a “technological shock”, will result in increased press freedom. “Diplomatic work will not change and security officials will not negotiate instead of diplomats but it will be carried out under difficult conditions and the talks will be held in ‘lead rooms’, with cautious expression and new electronic data protection methods,” he told B92. When asked whether new information about Ratko Mladic and political background of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic’s murder could be expected, Dimitrijevic said that “just as we learned from (former U.S. Ambassador to Serbia William) Montgomery in a classic way from a book, we will also learn what somebody else is thinking”. He believes that Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez and the Cubans are looking forward to the WikiLeaks’ move the most, which means that they think that the "attack’s target is the U.S". “If it’s revealed that the U.S. is less powerful and less organized that it is believed, it could be a loss for them,” Dimitrijevic stressed. “The U.S. problem is the fact that it is very powerful but it is not as popular as it was immediately after the World War II and therefore it will not be disappointed because it is not counting that great love of the rest of the mankind is on its side,” he concluded.

“Someone wants Kosovo talks to fail”

Belgrade media report that Political Director of the Serbian Foreign Ministry Borko Stefanović has been appointed head of the Serbian government’s negotiating team.

“We can make such conclusions based on fact that technical level of negotiations is insisted on and that a man at a relatively low level and with relatively little experience, especially when it comes to Kosovo, has been chosen to be the team head,” Dimitrijević pointed out.

He says that if the state wanted the negotiations to be successful it would appoint “somebody who has authority and enough respect of the other side” as a head of the team who would push the negotiations.

Dimitrijević added that platform for the negotiations was secret but that it would be in accordance with the Constitution.

“If it’s based on the Constitution it’s a preamble then and that means that they would be relentless and that Kosovo can only be a province,” he explained.

WikiLeaks case - democratization of espionage

Dimitrijević stated today regarding publication of confidential U.S. government’s documents by WikiLeaks that each fight against secret diplomacy and nontransparent work was in the interest of democracy and added that this was “democratization of espionage”.

According to him, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s move, which represents a “technological shock”, will result in increased press freedom.

“Diplomatic work will not change and security officials will not negotiate instead of diplomats but it will be carried out under difficult conditions and the talks will be held in ‘lead rooms’, with cautious expression and new electronic data protection methods,” he told B92.

When asked whether new information about Ratko Mladić and political background of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić’s murder could be expected, Dimitrijević said that “just as we learned from (former U.S. Ambassador to Serbia William) Montgomery in a classic way from a book, we will also learn what somebody else is thinking”.

He believes that Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez and the Cubans are looking forward to the WikiLeaks’ move the most, which means that they think that the "attack’s target is the U.S".

“If it’s revealed that the U.S. is less powerful and less organized that it is believed, it could be a loss for them,” Dimitrijević stressed.

“The U.S. problem is the fact that it is very powerful but it is not as popular as it was immediately after the World War II and therefore it will not be disappointed because it is not counting that great love of the rest of the mankind is on its side,” he concluded.