"Live for Kosovo, not off Kosovo"

Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanovic says his ministry’s fundamental aim is to improve the everyday life of the province’s Serbs. Bogdanovic added that there would be no politicization or party politics there. "Live for Kosovo, not off Kosovo" “The Kosovo Ministry’s motto will be ‘Live in Kosovo, for Kosovo, not off Kosovo’,” he told Tanjug. The minister said that thus far the majority of people dealing with the Kosovo issue had not lived there, and had only lived “off Kosovo”, adding that in future his closest colleagues would be people actually living in the province, with their families, who best understood the situation on the ground and the problems the Serb community faced. Bogdanovic rejected accusations that the government's draft resolution on Kosovo did not maintain the continuity of state policy “That is politicization,” he said ahead of Wednesday’s session of parliament, where that document is due to come up for debate. “No-one sincerely concerned about Kosovo, who sincerely wants problems in Kosovo to be resolved, should politicize that issue,” the minister warned, stressing that Kosovo should not be a party issue. “The fate of Kosovo has to be the most important issue, as it is of both national and state interest. The use of Kosovo in daily politics can only damage us, the Serbs living there,” he explained. “The adoption of the draft resolution on the continuity of state policy towards Kosovo would send a message that Serbia is by no means ready to renounce its sovereignty in the province,” Bogdanovic said. At a session of the government's legislative committee to discuss legal proposals for the agenda of Wednesday’s session, the minister said that EULEX could not be Serbia's partner in resolving issues. “We have nothing against the presence of international organizations, above all UNMIK, in Kosovo, but as far as we are concerned, that is the only body we will cooperate with. If the provisions of UN Resolution 1244 referring to its presence are modified, we can accept something like that only if it is approved by the Security Council,” he pointed out. Bogdanovic added that he hoped that the draft resolution on Kosovo would be unanimously supported in parliament.

"Live for Kosovo, not off Kosovo"

“The Kosovo Ministry’s motto will be ‘Live in Kosovo, for Kosovo, not off Kosovo’,” he told Tanjug.

The minister said that thus far the majority of people dealing with the Kosovo issue had not lived there, and had only lived “off Kosovo”, adding that in future his closest colleagues would be people actually living in the province, with their families, who best understood the situation on the ground and the problems the Serb community faced.

Bogdanović rejected accusations that the government's draft resolution on Kosovo did not maintain the continuity of state policy

“That is politicization,” he said ahead of Wednesday’s session of parliament, where that document is due to come up for debate.

“No-one sincerely concerned about Kosovo, who sincerely wants problems in Kosovo to be resolved, should politicize that issue,” the minister warned, stressing that Kosovo should not be a party issue.

“The fate of Kosovo has to be the most important issue, as it is of both national and state interest. The use of Kosovo in daily politics can only damage us, the Serbs living there,” he explained.

“The adoption of the draft resolution on the continuity of state policy towards Kosovo would send a message that Serbia is by no means ready to renounce its sovereignty in the province,” Bogdanović said.

At a session of the government's legislative committee to discuss legal proposals for the agenda of Wednesday’s session, the minister said that EULEX could not be Serbia's partner in resolving issues.

“We have nothing against the presence of international organizations, above all UNMIK, in Kosovo, but as far as we are concerned, that is the only body we will cooperate with. If the provisions of UN Resolution 1244 referring to its presence are modified, we can accept something like that only if it is approved by the Security Council,” he pointed out.

Bogdanović added that he hoped that the draft resolution on Kosovo would be unanimously supported in parliament.