Vulin: Serbs in Kosovo "most deserving of date"

BELGRADE Aleksandar Vulin has said that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija were "the most deserving of getting a date for the opening of EU accession talk with Serbia." "No one was happier than the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija when the date was obtained, because this definitely lifted the undue burden placed on their shoulders," Vulin was quoted as saying by Tanjug. Vulin: Serbs in Kosovo "most deserving of date" The director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija further said over the weekend that those Serbs are "not an obstacle on Serbia's EU path." Vulin "thanked the Serbs on his own behalf and on behalf of the state, the government and all the citizens of the Republic of Serbia," adding that "without their persistence patience and commitment to cooperating with the Serbian government the date would not be possible." According to Vulin, it turned out that "when we are united, we can achieve anything, and no one will be able to oppose the thing that we consider the legitimate interest of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, and the legitimate interest of the state of Serbia." "The state of Serbia will implement all that has been stipulated by the Brussels agreement (between Belgrade and Pristina), together with the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Vulin said. He then stressed that he was "pleased with the fact the EU recognized how much Serbia tried and understood the effort it invested to arrive to the start of accession talks," and added he hoped that the EU "will stay true to itself" - and "not come up at the last minute with new conditions or something that we don't expect at this moment and what has not been asked of us at this moment." Vulin also stated that Serbia "was not waiting for anything," but was ready to be best organized "for that date", and in this way to be "as successful as possible," and added: "We do not wish for that process to last five, 10, 20 years, and we hope we will not see the same fate as Turkey, which has been waiting for some 30 years for the negotiations to end. We hope this is a beginning, and a fast beginning." (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Vulin: Serbs in Kosovo "most deserving of date"

The director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija further said over the weekend that those Serbs are "not an obstacle on Serbia's EU path."

Vulin "thanked the Serbs on his own behalf and on behalf of the state, the government and all the citizens of the Republic of Serbia," adding that "without their persistence patience and commitment to cooperating with the Serbian government the date would not be possible."

According to Vulin, it turned out that "when we are united, we can achieve anything, and no one will be able to oppose the thing that we consider the legitimate interest of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, and the legitimate interest of the state of Serbia."

"The state of Serbia will implement all that has been stipulated by the Brussels agreement (between Belgrade and Priština), together with the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Vulin said.

He then stressed that he was "pleased with the fact the EU recognized how much Serbia tried and understood the effort it invested to arrive to the start of accession talks," and added he hoped that the EU "will stay true to itself" - and "not come up at the last minute with new conditions or something that we don't expect at this moment and what has not been asked of us at this moment."

Vulin also stated that Serbia "was not waiting for anything," but was ready to be best organized "for that date", and in this way to be "as successful as possible," and added:

"We do not wish for that process to last five, 10, 20 years, and we hope we will not see the same fate as Turkey, which has been waiting for some 30 years for the negotiations to end. We hope this is a beginning, and a fast beginning."