"Erasing 1244 would mean recognition"

Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic says disassociating UNSC Resolution 1244 from Kosovo's name would imply recognition of Kosovo. For the third time in as many days, Dacic revisited the subject and told journalists in Belgrade on Wednesday that Serbia was pressured to accept Pristina's representation at regional forums outside the manner determined by the UN resolution that ended the 1999 war over Kosovo. "Erasing 1244 would mean recognition" Dacic reiterated Serbia's position that it should join the EU, but also defend its national interests. "We cannot accept Kosovo's appearance at international forums which would not be in keeping with Resolution 1244," Dacic said. He underlined that there was "no country which deserved the EU candidate status more than Serbia eleven years after the fall of the regime of Slobodan Milosevic". "If they do not like President Boris Tadic, I am not sure who could be the president that they would like," Dacic said. Dacic underlined that in his talks with European officials he was always clear about what can and cannot be done, and that he was always supportive of technical issues, but in terms of political conditioning the national interests were the ones to be put in the forefront. He underlined that he "never advocated the policy of both entering the EU and keeping Kosovo", but that he "always said that it is only Serbia's interests which have to be observed both in terms of Kosovo and the EU". Dacic further stated that "Brussels, Washington, Paris, London and Rome are lobbying with the states which have not recognized the independence of Kosovo to do that". According to him, all talks with these centers of power concluded with the point that Serbia "has to accept reality". The minister said that "anything is possible, including to state that Serbia was not asked to recognize Kosovo", but noticed that such statements "would be a lie". Dacic is seen in Belgrade on Thursday (Tanjug)

"Erasing 1244 would mean recognition"

Dačić reiterated Serbia's position that it should join the EU, but also defend its national interests.

"We cannot accept Kosovo's appearance at international forums which would not be in keeping with Resolution 1244," Dačić said.

He underlined that there was "no country which deserved the EU candidate status more than Serbia eleven years after the fall of the regime of Slobodan Milošević".

"If they do not like President Boris Tadić, I am not sure who could be the president that they would like," Dačić said.

Dačić underlined that in his talks with European officials he was always clear about what can and cannot be done, and that he was always supportive of technical issues, but in terms of political conditioning the national interests were the ones to be put in the forefront.

He underlined that he "never advocated the policy of both entering the EU and keeping Kosovo", but that he "always said that it is only Serbia's interests which have to be observed both in terms of Kosovo and the EU".

Dačić further stated that "Brussels, Washington, Paris, London and Rome are lobbying with the states which have not recognized the independence of Kosovo to do that".

According to him, all talks with these centers of power concluded with the point that Serbia "has to accept reality".

The minister said that "anything is possible, including to state that Serbia was not asked to recognize Kosovo", but noticed that such statements "would be a lie".