"Model for cooperation with Kosovo needed"

Serbia is not being asked to recognize Kosovo, but Belgrade must establish some model of cooperation with Pristina, the British ambassador says. Stephen Wordsworth told B92 that Serbia was not requested to recognize Kosovo, but mentioned, as examples of "cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia", which is increasingly being insisted on, two post-war Germanies, as well as the model which has been established by Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "Model for cooperation with Kosovo needed" “The basic issue is to find a way to regulate our differences regarding Kosovo. 22 EU member states have recognized Kosovo, five have not. Serbia, of course, hasn’t done it,” Wordsworth stressed. “We want Serbia’s process of European integrations to continue, therefore we need to find a way to overcome these differences which exist among us because we cannot resolve them,” he said. The British ambassador says that EU members are sticking to the position that Serbia will not be asked to recognize Kosovo, but he points out that in the process of EU accession, it will have to be determined what makes Serbia in a physical sense, including its size and population. “You have submitted a request for receiving candidate status. If the EU ministers agree on this request during the summer and forward the request to the Commission for adoption, the Commission will send to Belgrade a comprehensive questionnaire which contains over 2,000 questions,” the ambassador explained. “Some would, in a normal situation, be easy to answer. For example, what is the area and population of the country. In the process of integration, we have to know what Serbia is. A good precedent here is that the previous government of Prime Minister Kostunica, when negotiating the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), accepted that this agreement did not apply to Kosovo, which was under management of the UN in accordance with Resolution 1244,” he emphasized. Reflecting on the proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which should decide on legality of the Kosovo Albanian unilateral declaration under international law, Wordsworth said that he did not expect that the court’s position would be one hundred percent in favor of one party, but that it would be some middle solution. “Don’t forget, however, that this is an advisory opinion which is not binding. But, we will decide about it when we get it. Frankly, the court’s opinion will not change the fact that 80 percent of EU member states have recognized the independence. This reality will remain,” the British ambassador stated.

"Model for cooperation with Kosovo needed"

“The basic issue is to find a way to regulate our differences regarding Kosovo. 22 EU member states have recognized Kosovo, five have not. Serbia, of course, hasn’t done it,” Wordsworth stressed.

“We want Serbia’s process of European integrations to continue, therefore we need to find a way to overcome these differences which exist among us because we cannot resolve them,” he said.

The British ambassador says that EU members are sticking to the position that Serbia will not be asked to recognize Kosovo, but he points out that in the process of EU accession, it will have to be determined what makes Serbia in a physical sense, including its size and population.

“You have submitted a request for receiving candidate status. If the EU ministers agree on this request during the summer and forward the request to the Commission for adoption, the Commission will send to Belgrade a comprehensive questionnaire which contains over 2,000 questions,” the ambassador explained.

“Some would, in a normal situation, be easy to answer. For example, what is the area and population of the country. In the process of integration, we have to know what Serbia is. A good precedent here is that the previous government of Prime Minister Koštunica, when negotiating the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), accepted that this agreement did not apply to Kosovo, which was under management of the UN in accordance with Resolution 1244,” he emphasized.

Reflecting on the proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which should decide on legality of the Kosovo Albanian unilateral declaration under international law, Wordsworth said that he did not expect that the court’s position would be one hundred percent in favor of one party, but that it would be some middle solution.

“Don’t forget, however, that this is an advisory opinion which is not binding. But, we will decide about it when we get it. Frankly, the court’s opinion will not change the fact that 80 percent of EU member states have recognized the independence. This reality will remain,” the British ambassador stated.