President discusses Kosovo, EU, regional ties

BELGRADE Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic met with foreign reporters on Wednesday and criticized his Croatian counterpart for "avoiding to meet with him". During a briefing with correspondents of Ansa, AP, AFP, BBC, ORF, Reuters, and Al Jazeera, Nikolic said that his meeting with Ivo Josipovic should have come before that between the prime ministers of the two countries: President discusses Kosovo, EU, regional ties "I think the two presidents should have met first, because that (would have) signaled that good relations had been established, and I do not know why Josipovic is avoiding that encounter. As far as I'm concerned, Serbia should cooperate and talk with every country in the world, but there is a way. Croatia cannot be angry at the president of Serbia, and then look for some other way to show up in Serbia. I represent Serbia and her citizens, in the country, and abroad." He also stated Croatia was trying to join the EU peacefully, without any opposition from Serbia. "There are issues that Croatia has not settled and which could make Serbia's opposition a problem for Croatia's membership in the EU," Nikolic explained, listing problems regarding Serb refugees, their property and other issues. The president also charged that the working visit of Croatia's Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic on Wednesday was "not entirely sincere": "If Croatia iled charges of genocide against Serbia, how can Croatia's prime minister come for a friendly visit to Serbia? Someone is not being sincere there. Either they know we have not committed genocide or the visit is not truly friendly." "The easiest thing for politicians is to sit down and have lunch together, but their first and foremost task is to reconcile nations," Nikolic stated. Speaking about the issue of Kosovo, the Serbian president decisively rejected any possibility that the country would ever recognize the territory as independent, as that would be a violation of the Constitution, while the recently adopted parliamentary resolution on the province "for the first time clearly said what Serbia wanted and that it was remaining on the European road". "If it were acceptable, I would write it in the platform and resolution," Nikolic said of the possibility of Serbia "recognizing Kosovo", and added: "The platform states Serbia will never recognize Kosovo's independence, and if it does not recognize it, then that so-called Kosovo will not have a seat in the UN." When asked if he opposed Prime Minister Ivica Dacic on that, Nikolic responded he would rather see Dacic's original statement, but if the prime minister had meant it could happen under certain conditions, he did not agree with it. Dacic told reporters on Tuesday Serbia could discuss Kosovo's membership in the UN if it were a consequence of coming to a comprehensive solution in line with Serbia's national interest. "We sat down on Tuesday, talked about many things, but not that. I would like to get his exact, original statement. I await his reaction first. If he meant it is possible under certain conditions, then I do not agree with it," Nikolic noted. He stressed it was "truly impossible to suppose Serbia could give up a large part of its territory and say: 'This is why Kosovo can become a member of the UN'." Nikolic also noted that Serbia "would never abandon the EU road of its own accord, and can only be chased away from it": "If that is what the EU wants, they should say, 'we do not want you'. No need for them to be inventing conditions." "Serbia should meet the formal conditions from the European Commission report. I do not consider other conditions. I expect a date (for the start of membership talks), because, otherwise, nobody in Serbia could ever again be convinced that they should fulfill the conditions - because a bunch of other conditions stands behind those." Asked by a BBC reporter taking part in the briefing "what was the difference between holding talks with Pristina authorities and recognizing Kosovo's statehood", the president said that "the so-called Kosovo is a member of many international organizations, banks.. they can be a European region, we have nothing against that". He added that with the platform on Kosovo and Metohija Serbia agreed that Serbian authorities have no influence in that part of the territory any longer, and added: "That platform is also the Albanian reality. What else could Serbia suggest, what else could Albanians want? I don't know what else, short of independence. From this day and for many years and centuries in the future, Serbia will not recognize Kosovo, and nobody has the right to pressure her to do that." As for the Serb-dominated north of the province and its relations with Belgrade, Nikolic said they would be "the way Belgrade wishes": "The government of Serbia cares about the interests of all citizens in every part of the country, and cannot single some out and fulfil the wishes of some political leaders." Asked to comment on the situation in Presevo related to a memorial that local ethnic Albanians raised to commemorate members of the now disbanded terrorist group OVPMB (UCPMB), he stated: "It would be good if Serbs and Albanians determined together where it could be placed. This way, in the downtown, with the names of the people who were killing representatives of the authorities, police officers and innocent citizens - no country would tolerate that for as long as we have." Turning to relations with regional countries, Nikolic said that he had sent a message that Bosniak (Muslim) member of Bosnian Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic was "welcome both as a guest and as a host", and that all that was required for their meeting to take place was "a date to be determined". Ahead of his trip to Montenegro on Friday, the president said that he would focus especially on "Serbs in Montenegro not being in opposition simply because they are Serbs". "They should decide on their education, healthcare and how to preserve their tradition," Nikolic remarked, and added: "As I insist here on all officials of minority groups participating in government and deciding directly on how their people will live, I also discuss that subject with officials of the Montenegrin government and the local Serbs." Nikolic also announced a trip to Turkey in early February, where he said he would present "proposals for Turkish investments in Serbia" - but also "openly present his position regarding the announcements that Turkey intends to promote Kosovo's independence abroad." (Beta, file) B92 Tanjug

President discusses Kosovo, EU, regional ties

"I think the two presidents should have met first, because that (would have) signaled that good relations had been established, and I do not know why Josipović is avoiding that encounter. As far as I'm concerned, Serbia should cooperate and talk with every country in the world, but there is a way. Croatia cannot be angry at the president of Serbia, and then look for some other way to show up in Serbia. I represent Serbia and her citizens, in the country, and abroad."

He also stated Croatia was trying to join the EU peacefully, without any opposition from Serbia.

"There are issues that Croatia has not settled and which could make Serbia's opposition a problem for Croatia's membership in the EU," Nikolić explained, listing problems regarding Serb refugees, their property and other issues.

The president also charged that the working visit of Croatia's Prime Minister Zoran Milanović on Wednesday was "not entirely sincere":

"If Croatia iled charges of genocide against Serbia, how can Croatia's prime minister come for a friendly visit to Serbia? Someone is not being sincere there. Either they know we have not committed genocide or the visit is not truly friendly."

"The easiest thing for politicians is to sit down and have lunch together, but their first and foremost task is to reconcile nations," Nikolić stated.

Speaking about the issue of Kosovo, the Serbian president decisively rejected any possibility that the country would ever recognize the territory as independent, as that would be a violation of the Constitution, while the recently adopted parliamentary resolution on the province "for the first time clearly said what Serbia wanted and that it was remaining on the European road".

"If it were acceptable, I would write it in the platform and resolution," Nikolić said of the possibility of Serbia "recognizing Kosovo", and added: "The platform states Serbia will never recognize Kosovo's independence, and if it does not recognize it, then that so-called Kosovo will not have a seat in the UN."

When asked if he opposed Prime Minister Ivica Dačić on that, Nikolić responded he would rather see Dačić's original statement, but if the prime minister had meant it could happen under certain conditions, he did not agree with it.

Dačić told reporters on Tuesday Serbia could discuss Kosovo's membership in the UN if it were a consequence of coming to a comprehensive solution in line with Serbia's national interest.

"We sat down on Tuesday, talked about many things, but not that. I would like to get his exact, original statement. I await his reaction first. If he meant it is possible under certain conditions, then I do not agree with it," Nikolić noted.

He stressed it was "truly impossible to suppose Serbia could give up a large part of its territory and say: 'This is why Kosovo can become a member of the UN'."

Nikolić also noted that Serbia "would never abandon the EU road of its own accord, and can only be chased away from it":

"If that is what the EU wants, they should say, 'we do not want you'. No need for them to be inventing conditions."

"Serbia should meet the formal conditions from the European Commission report. I do not consider other conditions. I expect a date (for the start of membership talks), because, otherwise, nobody in Serbia could ever again be convinced that they should fulfill the conditions - because a bunch of other conditions stands behind those."

Asked by a BBC reporter taking part in the briefing "what was the difference between holding talks with Priština authorities and recognizing Kosovo's statehood", the president said that "the so-called Kosovo is a member of many international organizations, banks.. they can be a European region, we have nothing against that".

He added that with the platform on Kosovo and Metohija Serbia agreed that Serbian authorities have no influence in that part of the territory any longer, and added:

"That platform is also the Albanian reality. What else could Serbia suggest, what else could Albanians want? I don't know what else, short of independence. From this day and for many years and centuries in the future, Serbia will not recognize Kosovo, and nobody has the right to pressure her to do that."

As for the Serb-dominated north of the province and its relations with Belgrade, Nikolić said they would be "the way Belgrade wishes":

"The government of Serbia cares about the interests of all citizens in every part of the country, and cannot single some out and fulfil the wishes of some political leaders."

Asked to comment on the situation in Preševo related to a memorial that local ethnic Albanians raised to commemorate members of the now disbanded terrorist group OVPMB (UCPMB), he stated:

"It would be good if Serbs and Albanians determined together where it could be placed. This way, in the downtown, with the names of the people who were killing representatives of the authorities, police officers and innocent citizens - no country would tolerate that for as long as we have."

Turning to relations with regional countries, Nikolić said that he had sent a message that Bosniak (Muslim) member of Bosnian Presidency Bakir Izetbegović was "welcome both as a guest and as a host", and that all that was required for their meeting to take place was "a date to be determined".

Ahead of his trip to Montenegro on Friday, the president said that he would focus especially on "Serbs in Montenegro not being in opposition simply because they are Serbs".

"They should decide on their education, healthcare and how to preserve their tradition," Nikolić remarked, and added:

"As I insist here on all officials of minority groups participating in government and deciding directly on how their people will live, I also discuss that subject with officials of the Montenegrin government and the local Serbs."

Nikolić also announced a trip to Turkey in early February, where he said he would present "proposals for Turkish investments in Serbia" - but also "openly present his position regarding the announcements that Turkey intends to promote Kosovo's independence abroad."