“Last moment to achieve unity on key issues”

BELGRADE This is the last moment to achieve national unity on key issues, says UN General Assembly President Vuk Jeremic told daily Vecernje novosti. “If we miss it, we are risking being sucked in by the whirlwind of history,” he said when asked if national and political consensus on Kosovo was possible, bearing in mind growing differences between key political factors. “Last moment to achieve unity on key issues” Jeremic assessed that Serbia was the only Western Balkan country that still had not managed to reach an internal agreement on its vital interests and that it was high time to do it. He said that the latest platform on Kosovo was a good starting point and that the document could be additionally improved in a constructive parliamentary debate so everybody could work together on its implementation once it had been adopted. “This will automatically make it a relevant document for the international community and its, at least partial adoption, will inevitably discussed,” said the former Serbian foreign minister and added that people often forgot that Serbia still had strong support of countries that had not recognized Kosovo. According to him, Serbia’s negotiating position can be strengthened with intensive work with those countries. The UNGA president said that “conditioning of Serbia will continue as long Serbia keeps giving an impression that it is ready to accept every concession in order to make a step forward in the European process”. “If they keep thinking that we will in the end always back down in front their every request, why would anyone have a reason to negotiate seriously with us? The only strategy that exists at the moment is to force Serbia to accept the Ahtisaari plan step by step and therefore practically recognize Kosovo’s independence,” Jeremic explained. He said that only a clear defining of goals and interests would encourage other countries and Pristina to start a serious political process, adding that such logic applied to other goals as well. Commenting on the government’s accusations that the previous government had “tied their hands”, Jeremic said that his ministry had not given a positive review to any of the Brussels agreements. “I believed that it was not good to have a technical dialogue in a way that was making a maneuvering space for the finding of a total political solution smaller. The technical dialogue in the future should be aimed at finding a political solution instead of being an instrument that takes us farther away from the point, and that is to define Kosovo and Metohija’s internal and foreign status that will be acceptable for both sides,” he noted. Jeremic said he did not believe that the platform could stop the EU integration process and said that there were far bigger obstacles in the process than the enlargement fatigue. According to him, Serbia will get as much support from Russia and China as it asks if “our Kosovo policy is consistent and principled”. Jeremic stressed that he expected many participants of a debate on the Hague Tribunal to point to possible mistakes and omissions. “I think this is the last opportunity for our generation to try to change the one-sided picture that a part of the world has about Serbia’s role in civil wars and therefore make our current policies legitimate,” he added. Vuk Jeremic (Beta/AP, file) Vecernje novosti

“Last moment to achieve unity on key issues”

Jeremić assessed that Serbia was the only Western Balkan country that still had not managed to reach an internal agreement on its vital interests and that it was high time to do it.

He said that the latest platform on Kosovo was a good starting point and that the document could be additionally improved in a constructive parliamentary debate so everybody could work together on its implementation once it had been adopted.

“This will automatically make it a relevant document for the international community and its, at least partial adoption, will inevitably discussed,” said the former Serbian foreign minister and added that people often forgot that Serbia still had strong support of countries that had not recognized Kosovo.

According to him, Serbia’s negotiating position can be strengthened with intensive work with those countries.

The UNGA president said that “conditioning of Serbia will continue as long Serbia keeps giving an impression that it is ready to accept every concession in order to make a step forward in the European process”.

“If they keep thinking that we will in the end always back down in front their every request, why would anyone have a reason to negotiate seriously with us? The only strategy that exists at the moment is to force Serbia to accept the Ahtisaari plan step by step and therefore practically recognize Kosovo’s independence,” Jeremić explained.

He said that only a clear defining of goals and interests would encourage other countries and Priština to start a serious political process, adding that such logic applied to other goals as well.

Commenting on the government’s accusations that the previous government had “tied their hands”, Jeremić said that his ministry had not given a positive review to any of the Brussels agreements.

“I believed that it was not good to have a technical dialogue in a way that was making a maneuvering space for the finding of a total political solution smaller. The technical dialogue in the future should be aimed at finding a political solution instead of being an instrument that takes us farther away from the point, and that is to define Kosovo and Metohija’s internal and foreign status that will be acceptable for both sides,” he noted.

Jeremić said he did not believe that the platform could stop the EU integration process and said that there were far bigger obstacles in the process than the enlargement fatigue.

According to him, Serbia will get as much support from Russia and China as it asks if “our Kosovo policy is consistent and principled”.

Jeremić stressed that he expected many participants of a debate on the Hague Tribunal to point to possible mistakes and omissions.

“I think this is the last opportunity for our generation to try to change the one-sided picture that a part of the world has about Serbia’s role in civil wars and therefore make our current policies legitimate,” he added.