Dačić: Serbs guaranteed greatest safety

BELGRADE Ivica Dacic said that the proposal of the Brussels deal on northern Kosovo guaranteed the greatest possible safety for Serbs from the north of the province. The prime minister said that greater assurances than these could not be achieved. Dacic: Serbs guaranteed greatest safety Dacic said that he still receives threatening messages, but that he is "not afraid because he is not a traitor." "We received assurances from those who command that the Kosovo army cannot come to the north. This is the first time we had such guarantees. We got them from Secretary General of NATO Rasmussen, and Catherine Ashton was present. They are the guarantors of the agreement," Dacic told Radio Television Serbia. He said that he got a threatening message from a "man in Sremska Mitrovica", the content of which was that he would "get the bullet", but that, in consultation with Aleksandar Vucic, he ordered the police "not to respond to these threats." Serbia has the full support of Russia in solving the final status of Kosovo, and the agreement that was initialed in Brussels "is a bypass to that final decision," asserted the prime minister. "We've made a bypass to the final solution. In order to reach a final solution we have to be in the game and Serbs in Kosovo must survive." He also said the two realities on the ground had to be "introduced into indications of the legal framework." In Russia, we talked about the strategic support of Russia for the final status of Kosovo, and this most important thing about the final decision has not yet been discussed in Brussels, he was quoted as saying. This support of Moscow does not apply to the issues that have been ongoing, and that had to do with temporary solutions, which have no connection with the final solution, said Dacic, and reiterated that Belgrade was ready to talk about the main issue, but that it was Prisitna that refused "because it considers it a closed question." "When we talk about a final solution, it is clear that it cannot happen without the UN, it is our only trump card, the rest are organizations that do not depend on us.... and that is why we need political consultations at a high level," Dacic continued. He then recalled that Russia "never slowed down Serbia's European path, but was against the blackmail coming from the EU." "We are not able to by ourselves block Kosovo's path to the UN, but we can with the help of our friends Russia and China," said Dacic. "Stories that Russia could intervene militarily in Kosovo is just a fantasy in someone's head," Dacic said, adding that in Moscow there was no word on sending a military contingent to Kosovo "because it is unacceptable for them because of the NATO command." Dacic also said it was not true that the national leadership sold Kosovo for the sake of getting a date for the start of EU accession negotiations, and once again stated that the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija were given "the highest possible security" in the proposed Brussels agreement. The signing of this proposal represents a historic decision for the Serbian prime minister, rather than treason on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija. Dacic said that it is very important to implement the proposed agreement and added that this must be discussed with the Serbs from Kosovo "in a strategic manner, in great secrecy and security protection." Dacic did not rule out the possibility of "new conditions" cropping up during the EU accession negotiations, but said that "a smart game should be played." He said it was necessary to enter the EU, "and if we do not like we will easily leave." According to reports, he offered Lithuania "as a good example." Ivica Dacic is seen during the cabinet session on Monday (Tanjug) Beta RTS Tanjug

Dačić: Serbs guaranteed greatest safety

Dačić said that he still receives threatening messages, but that he is "not afraid because he is not a traitor."

"We received assurances from those who command that the Kosovo army cannot come to the north. This is the first time we had such guarantees. We got them from Secretary General of NATO Rasmussen, and Catherine Ashton was present. They are the guarantors of the agreement," Dačić told Radio Television Serbia.

He said that he got a threatening message from a "man in Sremska Mitrovica", the content of which was that he would "get the bullet", but that, in consultation with Aleksandar Vučić, he ordered the police "not to respond to these threats."

Serbia has the full support of Russia in solving the final status of Kosovo, and the agreement that was initialed in Brussels "is a bypass to that final decision," asserted the prime minister.

"We've made a bypass to the final solution. In order to reach a final solution we have to be in the game and Serbs in Kosovo must survive."

He also said the two realities on the ground had to be "introduced into indications of the legal framework."

In Russia, we talked about the strategic support of Russia for the final status of Kosovo, and this most important thing about the final decision has not yet been discussed in Brussels, he was quoted as saying.

This support of Moscow does not apply to the issues that have been ongoing, and that had to do with temporary solutions, which have no connection with the final solution, said Dačić, and reiterated that Belgrade was ready to talk about the main issue, but that it was Prišitna that refused "because it considers it a closed question."

"When we talk about a final solution, it is clear that it cannot happen without the UN, it is our only trump card, the rest are organizations that do not depend on us.... and that is why we need political consultations at a high level," Dačić continued. He then recalled that Russia "never slowed down Serbia's European path, but was against the blackmail coming from the EU."

"We are not able to by ourselves block Kosovo's path to the UN, but we can with the help of our friends Russia and China," said Dačić.

"Stories that Russia could intervene militarily in Kosovo is just a fantasy in someone's head," Dačić said, adding that in Moscow there was no word on sending a military contingent to Kosovo "because it is unacceptable for them because of the NATO command."

Dačić also said it was not true that the national leadership sold Kosovo for the sake of getting a date for the start of EU accession negotiations, and once again stated that the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija were given "the highest possible security" in the proposed Brussels agreement.

The signing of this proposal represents a historic decision for the Serbian prime minister, rather than treason on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija.

Dačić said that it is very important to implement the proposed agreement and added that this must be discussed with the Serbs from Kosovo "in a strategic manner, in great secrecy and security protection."

Dačić did not rule out the possibility of "new conditions" cropping up during the EU accession negotiations, but said that "a smart game should be played."

He said it was necessary to enter the EU, "and if we do not like we will easily leave." According to reports, he offered Lithuania "as a good example."