Jeremić: Kosovo part of Serbia

“Kosovo is a part of Serbia, according to our Constitution, international law and on the basis of a UN Security Council resolution,” Vuk Jeremic told the BBC. The foreign minister said in an interview that powerful international sponsors had been necessary for the illegal decision by the temporary Kosovo institutions to unilaterally declare independence. Luckily, international laws and the UN Security Council existed, he added. Jeremic: Kosovo part of Serbia "Serbia, which is not using her right to force, is using all available diplomatic, political and legal means to overturn Pristina’s illegitimate decision," said Jeremic. Dismissing the journalist’s observation that Kosovo was de facto independent, he said that three-quarters of the world’s countries had not recognized the province’s independence, not just Russia, a permanent Security Council member with the right to a veto. Others not recognizing the Kosovo Albanians’ illegal decision included China, another permanent Security Council member, India, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, and Indonesia, added Jeremic. The foreign minister said that Serbia’s diplomatic efforts thus far had “borne fruit,” backing this up with the fact that very few countries outside the trans-Atlantic family had recognized Kosovo, and by the fact Belgrade had prevented Kosovo from entering any international organizations. He said that Serbia’s efforts would culminate in September at the UN General Assembly with a proposed resolution stating, quite simply, that Kosovo had illegally declared independence in contravention of a Security Council resolution, which was not in keeping with international law, and that the UN should pass the matter on to the International Court of Justice. Jeremic added that people in Serbia were “concerned and furious” with the situation in Kosovo, and that they were sure that a “flagrant violation of international law and a country’s democratic Constitution” was at play. Serbia, the foreign minister continued, would not let the matter drop, and would do everything to ensure peace and stability in the region. But, Serbia would, as any other nation in its position, look into all the possibilities to safeguard her sovereignty, territorial integrity and dignity, he stressed. Asked whether, by recognizing Kosovo’s unilateral independence and signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), Serbia would have an open path to EU membership, Jeremic replied that he hoped Belgrade would not be made such an indecent proposal. Vuk Jeremic (FoNet, archive)

Jeremić: Kosovo part of Serbia

"Serbia, which is not using her right to force, is using all available diplomatic, political and legal means to overturn Priština’s illegitimate decision," said Jeremić.

Dismissing the journalist’s observation that Kosovo was de facto independent, he said that three-quarters of the world’s countries had not recognized the province’s independence, not just Russia, a permanent Security Council member with the right to a veto.

Others not recognizing the Kosovo Albanians’ illegal decision included China, another permanent Security Council member, India, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, and Indonesia, added Jeremić.

The foreign minister said that Serbia’s diplomatic efforts thus far had “borne fruit,” backing this up with the fact that very few countries outside the trans-Atlantic family had recognized Kosovo, and by the fact Belgrade had prevented Kosovo from entering any international organizations.

He said that Serbia’s efforts would culminate in September at the UN General Assembly with a proposed resolution stating, quite simply, that Kosovo had illegally declared independence in contravention of a Security Council resolution, which was not in keeping with international law, and that the UN should pass the matter on to the International Court of Justice.

Jeremić added that people in Serbia were “concerned and furious” with the situation in Kosovo, and that they were sure that a “flagrant violation of international law and a country’s democratic Constitution” was at play.

Serbia, the foreign minister continued, would not let the matter drop, and would do everything to ensure peace and stability in the region.

But, Serbia would, as any other nation in its position, look into all the possibilities to safeguard her sovereignty, territorial integrity and dignity, he stressed.

Asked whether, by recognizing Kosovo’s unilateral independence and signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), Serbia would have an open path to EU membership, Jeremić replied that he hoped Belgrade would not be made such an indecent proposal.