Jeremić to OSCE: Serbia is sovereign

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic was attending an OSCE meeting in Vienna today. The session came only days after Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared secession, something rejected by Serbia and its ally Russia as illegal, but accepted by a number of western and other countries including the U.S. Jeremic to OSCE: Serbia is sovereign Today, Jeremic called on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, to condemn the unilateral and illegal Pristina moves, and make sure that the province is not granted membership in the organization. "UN and OSCE membership are two tests of respect of sovereignty. Membership in these organizations, these two pillars of international order, is a sign of belonging to the community of sovereign nations. Serbia is one such nation, Kosovo will never be anything of the kind," Jeremic told the OSCE Permanent Council. The council, which is holding an emergency session, was also told that "its reaction to this flagrant breaking of international law will significantly determine its path in the future." Jeremic reminded that valid UN Resolution 1244, as well as Serbia's constitution, unequivocally confirmed the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, including over its province of Kosovo. The foreign minister also reminded the meeting that Serbia has asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to instruct his representative to Kosovo to annul the unilateral declaration, and to disband the assembly that adopted it acting illegally and contrary to 1244. "Serbia has called on KFOR troops to maintain their neutral status. Only by continuing with their work within the legal framework of their mandate, will KFOR have the capacity to prevent a new ethnic cleansing of the Serb population, and protect our heritage," Jeremic also said. He welcomed the European Union's desire to expand its presence in the province, but reminded that Brussels must seek a UN Security Council mandate in order to send its mission there. "Kosovo is today the most dysfunctional part of the space made up of the OSCE member states. There is little visible progress, despite of investments in its development worth billions of euros," Jeremic said. He also repeated that the Kosovo status crisis set a dangerous precedent for other secessionist regions to follow, and called on ethnic Albanian leadership to continue the talks with Belgrade "at any time". So far Serbia's call to reject Kosovo's unilateral independence was answered by five EU members: Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. Beside the well known Russian position and China's expressed concern over the developments, other countries also voiced their opposition, including Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Belorussia and Moldavia, while Georgia is weighing its options in view of the grave secessionist problems it faces on its own territory, reports say.

Jeremić to OSCE: Serbia is sovereign

Today, Jeremić called on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, to condemn the unilateral and illegal Priština moves, and make sure that the province is not granted membership in the organization.

"UN and OSCE membership are two tests of respect of sovereignty. Membership in these organizations, these two pillars of international order, is a sign of belonging to the community of sovereign nations. Serbia is one such nation, Kosovo will never be anything of the kind," Jeremić told the OSCE Permanent Council.

The council, which is holding an emergency session, was also told that "its reaction to this flagrant breaking of international law will significantly determine its path in the future."

Jeremić reminded that valid UN Resolution 1244, as well as Serbia's constitution, unequivocally confirmed the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, including over its province of Kosovo.

The foreign minister also reminded the meeting that Serbia has asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to instruct his representative to Kosovo to annul the unilateral declaration, and to disband the assembly that adopted it acting illegally and contrary to 1244.

"Serbia has called on KFOR troops to maintain their neutral status. Only by continuing with their work within the legal framework of their mandate, will KFOR have the capacity to prevent a new ethnic cleansing of the Serb population, and protect our heritage," Jeremić also said.

He welcomed the European Union's desire to expand its presence in the province, but reminded that Brussels must seek a UN Security Council mandate in order to send its mission there.

"Kosovo is today the most dysfunctional part of the space made up of the OSCE member states. There is little visible progress, despite of investments in its development worth billions of euros," Jeremić said.

He also repeated that the Kosovo status crisis set a dangerous precedent for other secessionist regions to follow, and called on ethnic Albanian leadership to continue the talks with Belgrade "at any time".

So far Serbia's call to reject Kosovo's unilateral independence was answered by five EU members: Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

Beside the well known Russian position and China's expressed concern over the developments, other countries also voiced their opposition, including Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Belorussia and Moldavia, while Georgia is weighing its options in view of the grave secessionist problems it faces on its own territory, reports say.