Kosovo partition idea "nothing new" - president

Serbian President Boris Tadic stated on Friday that all ideas for a permanent solution of the Kosovo and Metohija issue "are welcome". "One should not marvel at the idea regarding division of Kosovo since it has been present in the Serbian public for a while now," said he. Kosovo partition idea "nothing new" - president Tadic added that a solution needs to be found that would be "acceptable and practical for both sides in the matter and the international community as well". "It is our duty to change the situation in the field and turn it to our advantage, while at the same time respecting the (ethnic) Albanian community," Tadic told reporters following a meeting with students from from Kosovo visiting Belgrade. "There is no secret policy or a need for pretentious titles, every idea is welcome and we should not make a spectacle out of ideas we've been listening to over the past 50 years," he said. According to Tadic, no conventional political steps should be taken in the search for a solution to the Kosovo issue. Instead, we should act in an innovative manner, the president said. "It is not realistic for us to deal with forecasts as to how the dialogue would develop because at this point, it is focused on technical issues," Tadic said and added that Serbia is willing to participate in the dialogue in every possible way and solve the historical conflict between Serbs and Albanians. He said that he would not like to calculate as to the potential solutions at this point because no solution can be considered realistic until the talks enter a new stage or the dialogue turns into negotiations. Tadic stated that this matter also requires favorable international circumstances and added that wishes of Serbia and Albanians from Kosovo are not the only factors that will determine the outcome of this process, but that the entire international context is important as well. The president added that he wishes to consolidate Serbia's policy and so increase the chances for preservation of the country's legitimate state interests in Kosovo and Metohija, which primarily imply conducting a peaceful policy, finding international allies and reaching a solution which would be sustainable in the economic, security and social sense of the word. "For our part, we should approach the Kosovo issue in a way which would lead to a solution," Tadic stated. The Serbian president and ruling DS party leader was also quoted as saying that "over the past decades, Serbia had a policy that prided itself in its patriotism and the non-withdrawal from its borders, while in fact the borders kept withdrawing more and more, the country took part in wars, its citizens lost their lives and the country's ability to defend its legitimate interests in Kosovo and Metohija kept decreasing". Tadic in Belgrade on Friday (Tanjug)

Kosovo partition idea "nothing new" - president

Tadić added that a solution needs to be found that would be "acceptable and practical for both sides in the matter and the international community as well".

"It is our duty to change the situation in the field and turn it to our advantage, while at the same time respecting the (ethnic) Albanian community," Tadić told reporters following a meeting with students from from Kosovo visiting Belgrade.

"There is no secret policy or a need for pretentious titles, every idea is welcome and we should not make a spectacle out of ideas we've been listening to over the past 50 years," he said.

According to Tadić, no conventional political steps should be taken in the search for a solution to the Kosovo issue. Instead, we should act in an innovative manner, the president said.

"It is not realistic for us to deal with forecasts as to how the dialogue would develop because at this point, it is focused on technical issues," Tadić said and added that Serbia is willing to participate in the dialogue in every possible way and solve the historical conflict between Serbs and Albanians.

He said that he would not like to calculate as to the potential solutions at this point because no solution can be considered realistic until the talks enter a new stage or the dialogue turns into negotiations. Tadić stated that this matter also requires favorable international circumstances and added that wishes of Serbia and Albanians from Kosovo are not the only factors that will determine the outcome of this process, but that the entire international context is important as well.

The president added that he wishes to consolidate Serbia's policy and so increase the chances for preservation of the country's legitimate state interests in Kosovo and Metohija, which primarily imply conducting a peaceful policy, finding international allies and reaching a solution which would be sustainable in the economic, security and social sense of the word.

"For our part, we should approach the Kosovo issue in a way which would lead to a solution," Tadić stated.

The Serbian president and ruling DS party leader was also quoted as saying that "over the past decades, Serbia had a policy that prided itself in its patriotism and the non-withdrawal from its borders, while in fact the borders kept withdrawing more and more, the country took part in wars, its citizens lost their lives and the country's ability to defend its legitimate interests in Kosovo and Metohija kept decreasing".