Tadić: Kosovo not condition for EU

President Boris Tadic has told B92 that Serbia has not veered from its EU path, “not by a millimeter,” but that “there is no price for Kosovo.” Tadic said that the Kosovo Serbs were rightly concerned by the planned formation of the Kosovo security forces, which was why he would insist on their dissolution. Tadic: Kosovo not condition for EU One of the government’s most important tasks in 2009 was overcoming the financial crisis and preserving jobs, he said last night. The president said that the formation of the Kosovo security forces was unacceptable to Serbia and that the province’s demilitarization was the only way to ensure security for the people living there. He stressed that Serbia must not relent on its policy of defending its territorial integrity and continuing the process of EU integration, and that it had to do everything in its power to achieve those two goals. “One of Serbia’s great allies in that policy of defending the country’s territorial integrity is the fact that there are countries in Europe who have no wish to ever recognize Kosovo. And as long as such countries exist in Europe, it will be nigh on impossible for Europe to set Serbia such a condition,” said Tadic. “But, were something like that to happen in the EU, God forbid, we would say straight away: don’t even try to do something like that, and we'd construct a policy in keeping with that fact. As far as I’m concerned, no-one in Europe has ever hinted at recognition of Kosovo being a condition for EU integration. On the contrary, everyone has said that that condition cannot be set,” added the president. Speaking of the political scene in Serbia, he said that the government had to build its authority by solving citizens’ problems and that he could assist to that effect, but he could not, as it was claimed, “lend” his authority to the government. Tadic said that, besides political power, he was prepared to assume responsibility for all his decisions. “I’m not manipulating anyone.What do you think—I have great power, but I don’t have political responsibility. I heard one analyst who wrote that the other day. That’s a fantastic theory,” said the president. “The fact is that I was elected by the citizens directly unambiguously begs the conclusion that I have the greatest political responsibility. There is a way of changing the president, and it goes along the lines of Constitutionally guaranteed procedure. At the same time, my responsibility is bigger than that of any other actor in politics today, and I am not running from it,” he explained. Boris Tadic (Tanjug, archive)

Tadić: Kosovo not condition for EU

One of the government’s most important tasks in 2009 was overcoming the financial crisis and preserving jobs, he said last night.

The president said that the formation of the Kosovo security forces was unacceptable to Serbia and that the province’s demilitarization was the only way to ensure security for the people living there.

He stressed that Serbia must not relent on its policy of defending its territorial integrity and continuing the process of EU integration, and that it had to do everything in its power to achieve those two goals.

“One of Serbia’s great allies in that policy of defending the country’s territorial integrity is the fact that there are countries in Europe who have no wish to ever recognize Kosovo. And as long as such countries exist in Europe, it will be nigh on impossible for Europe to set Serbia such a condition,” said Tadić.

“But, were something like that to happen in the EU, God forbid, we would say straight away: don’t even try to do something like that, and we'd construct a policy in keeping with that fact. As far as I’m concerned, no-one in Europe has ever hinted at recognition of Kosovo being a condition for EU integration. On the contrary, everyone has said that that condition cannot be set,” added the president.

Speaking of the political scene in Serbia, he said that the government had to build its authority by solving citizens’ problems and that he could assist to that effect, but he could not, as it was claimed, “lend” his authority to the government.

Tadić said that, besides political power, he was prepared to assume responsibility for all his decisions.

“I’m not manipulating anyone.What do you think—I have great power, but I don’t have political responsibility. I heard one analyst who wrote that the other day. That’s a fantastic theory,” said the president.

“The fact is that I was elected by the citizens directly unambiguously begs the conclusion that I have the greatest political responsibility. There is a way of changing the president, and it goes along the lines of Constitutionally guaranteed procedure. At the same time, my responsibility is bigger than that of any other actor in politics today, and I am not running from it,” he explained.