Team chief: Future talks must focus on north

Belgrade team chief Borislav Stefanovic says the status of Kosovo Serbs and the issue of the north need to be a special part of the future political dialogue. “The status of Serbs and the issue of northern Kosovo is a definition of the upcoming dialogue which primarily needs to resolve the issue of the north of the province so as to secure the survival of Serbs and their institutions,” he said. Team chief: Future talks must focus on north Stefanovic told Kontakt Plus Radio that the future dialogue needed to provide a chance to those who had been expelled to return and to confirm the specificity of northern Kosovo that was accepted by the international community. “The job will not be simple because (Kosovo PM) Hashim Thaci and his team in Pristina do not want to have a dialogue with Belgrade about, as they say, political issues and they are trying to create a dialogue between Pristina and northern Kosovo Serb representatives,” he said and added that Pristina would fail in the attempt to do so. Commenting on the idea of taking the dialogue to a “higher level”, Stefanovic assessed that the “problem is that the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) are spreading two dangerous illusions” and that the first one was that it was possible to return the process under the UN Security Council auspices. “You have three members that have the power of veto that have recognized Kosovo’s independence and they would not allow it to come to the agenda,” he explained and added that the second illusion was that President Tomislav Nikolic or Ivica Dacic as the future PM could negotiate the Kosovo status with the Pristina representatives. “They cannot negotiate the status because the status of Kosovo is solved as far as they are concerned and it is an independent state for them and on the other hand the status of Kosovo is solved for us and it is an inalienable part of the Republic of Serbia,” the team head pointed out. He believes that the dialogue will therefore focus on issues such as northern Kosovo and “regulation of our relations without recognition of Kosovo”. Stefanovic pointed out that it would be increasingly harder to balance the EU conditions regarding Kosovo and Serbia’s EU integration. “We as a negotiating team, even though we have been exposed to criticism and all kind of stigmatization, have had a much bigger maneuvering space to avoid recognizing Kosovo’s independence. None of the agreements has in any way recognized Kosovo’s independence or violated our Constitution,” he claims. Stefanovic added that he agreed if the new government believed that all the agreements should be annulled because they were harmful for the country’s national interest and anti-constitutional. According to him, the pressures will continue and they will focus on abolition on the Serbian institutions and various attempts to “Kosovize” the north. He stressed that Serbia needed to stand up to this with a wise, rational policy, by building a consensus in Serbia and by reaching an agreement with the international community. Stefanovic stressed that a failure to implement the agreements reached in Brussels could have very negative consequences that Serbs south of the Ibar River would face. According to him, it would significantly make their lives difficult and Pristina would at the same time have an excuse to continue with its aggressive actions against the Serbs, especially against those living in northern Kosovo. Borislav Stefanovic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Team chief: Future talks must focus on north

Stefanović told Kontakt Plus Radio that the future dialogue needed to provide a chance to those who had been expelled to return and to confirm the specificity of northern Kosovo that was accepted by the international community.

“The job will not be simple because (Kosovo PM) Hashim Thaci and his team in Priština do not want to have a dialogue with Belgrade about, as they say, political issues and they are trying to create a dialogue between Priština and northern Kosovo Serb representatives,” he said and added that Priština would fail in the attempt to do so.

Commenting on the idea of taking the dialogue to a “higher level”, Stefanović assessed that the “problem is that the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) are spreading two dangerous illusions” and that the first one was that it was possible to return the process under the UN Security Council auspices.

“You have three members that have the power of veto that have recognized Kosovo’s independence and they would not allow it to come to the agenda,” he explained and added that the second illusion was that President Tomislav Nikolić or Ivica Dačić as the future PM could negotiate the Kosovo status with the Priština representatives.

“They cannot negotiate the status because the status of Kosovo is solved as far as they are concerned and it is an independent state for them and on the other hand the status of Kosovo is solved for us and it is an inalienable part of the Republic of Serbia,” the team head pointed out.

He believes that the dialogue will therefore focus on issues such as northern Kosovo and “regulation of our relations without recognition of Kosovo”.

Stefanović pointed out that it would be increasingly harder to balance the EU conditions regarding Kosovo and Serbia’s EU integration.

“We as a negotiating team, even though we have been exposed to criticism and all kind of stigmatization, have had a much bigger maneuvering space to avoid recognizing Kosovo’s independence. None of the agreements has in any way recognized Kosovo’s independence or violated our Constitution,” he claims.

Stefanović added that he agreed if the new government believed that all the agreements should be annulled because they were harmful for the country’s national interest and anti-constitutional.

According to him, the pressures will continue and they will focus on abolition on the Serbian institutions and various attempts to “Kosovize” the north.

He stressed that Serbia needed to stand up to this with a wise, rational policy, by building a consensus in Serbia and by reaching an agreement with the international community.

Stefanović stressed that a failure to implement the agreements reached in Brussels could have very negative consequences that Serbs south of the Ibar River would face. According to him, it would significantly make their lives difficult and Priština would at the same time have an excuse to continue with its aggressive actions against the Serbs, especially against those living in northern Kosovo.