MPs to vote on draft declaring KFOR in breach of 1244

The Serbian government's request for an urgent parliament session dedicated to Kosovo has arrived to the Serbian parliament at around 13:00 CET. The session has been scheduled for 14:00 CET on Saturday in Belgrade. MPs to vote on draft declaring KFOR in breach of 1244 Previously, sources from the ruling coalition told Tanjug that the session will be attended by PM Mirko Cvetkovic, Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanovic, and Belgrade team chief in the Kosovo dialogue Borislav Stefanovic. As MPs gather, they will have only one item on the agenda: a government report about the current situation in Kosovo, and adoption of conclusions. Late on Thursday, Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic told B92 that she would schedule the session with 24 hours of the official arrival of the government's request. Djukic-Dejanovic also said that she expected the Belgrade-Pristina talks in Brussels to continue "after the situation in Kosovo had calmed down". The crisis started late on Monday, when the Kosovo Albanian government sent the Rosu unit of the Kosovo police, KPS, to take over two administrative line checkpoints in the Serb north, up until that point controlled by EULEX customs and Serb members of the KPS. Their goal was to enforce a decision to ban Serbian goods from entry, introduced as Serbia refuses to accept customs stamps with "state of Kosovo" symbols. Serbia accepts goods that come with the Kosovo/UNMIK stamps - the format under which Pristina joined the regional free trade organization CEFTA. Neither official Belgrade nor Serbs in the northern part of Kosovo recognize the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in February 2008. The draft Below is an unofficial translation of the resolution that will be discussed by Serbian MPs tomorrow: In the draft preamble the government states that the resolution is guided by the necessity of continuity of a unified state policy, and of defending the honor and dignity of the people which the government legitimately and democratically represents: Serbia has the right and obligation to, respecting the UN Charter and the Constitution, use legal means to oppose the real danger against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia. Even under the circumstances when the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia are endangered, Serbia expresses readiness to contribute to a peaceful and mutually agreed upon resolution to the issue, based on principles and norms of international law and the Constitution. The international forces in Kosovo and Metohija are violating the status-neutral framework mandated by the (UNSC) Resolution 1244, thus endangering the survival of the Serb population and the interests of Serbia in the province. The Serbian parliament finds that such activities of international missions represents a brutal violation of international law, and above all of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Such acts and activities would directly endanger the sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia. The interim institutions in Pristina attempted to change by force the reality on the ground, exert additional pressure on Serbia, and to essentially annul Resolution 1244. The government will undertake the necessary measures in order to assure consistent respect of Resolution 1244 and the framework of activities of state organs and other participants in the defense of sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia. The government is particularly bound to act efficiently in all circumstances that could emerge, in order to protect lives and property, rights and freedoms of the residents of the province, and especially Serbs and other non-Albanian residents. This framework envisages that the defense of interests of Serbia and the people in Kosovo and Metohija, as an integral part of Serbia, represent a priority for state institutions and all public factors in the state, while the best way to reach compromise is through dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, with status-neutral mediators with a UN mandate. The government is obligated not to allow unilateral activities of the interim institutions in Pristina that jeopardize peace, stability and a compromise solution, and to adopt concrete measures for continued state functions in the province, under conditions of additional obstruction and pressure from the Kosovo institutions and a part of the international community.

MPs to vote on draft declaring KFOR in breach of 1244

Previously, sources from the ruling coalition told Tanjug that the session will be attended by PM Mirko Cvetković, Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanović, and Belgrade team chief in the Kosovo dialogue Borislav Stefanović.

As MPs gather, they will have only one item on the agenda: a government report about the current situation in Kosovo, and adoption of conclusions.

Late on Thursday, Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović told B92 that she would schedule the session with 24 hours of the official arrival of the government's request.

Đukić-Dejanović also said that she expected the Belgrade-Priština talks in Brussels to continue "after the situation in Kosovo had calmed down".

The crisis started late on Monday, when the Kosovo Albanian government sent the Rosu unit of the Kosovo police, KPS, to take over two administrative line checkpoints in the Serb north, up until that point controlled by EULEX customs and Serb members of the KPS.

Their goal was to enforce a decision to ban Serbian goods from entry, introduced as Serbia refuses to accept customs stamps with "state of Kosovo" symbols.

Serbia accepts goods that come with the Kosovo/UNMIK stamps - the format under which Priština joined the regional free trade organization CEFTA.

Neither official Belgrade nor Serbs in the northern part of Kosovo recognize the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in February 2008.

The draft

Below is an unofficial translation of the resolution that will be discussed by Serbian MPs tomorrow:

In the draft preamble the government states that the resolution is guided by the necessity of continuity of a unified state policy, and of defending the honor and dignity of the people which the government legitimately and democratically represents:

Serbia has the right and obligation to, respecting the UN Charter and the Constitution, use legal means to oppose the real danger against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia.

Even under the circumstances when the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia are endangered, Serbia expresses readiness to contribute to a peaceful and mutually agreed upon resolution to the issue, based on principles and norms of international law and the Constitution.

The international forces in Kosovo and Metohija are violating the status-neutral framework mandated by the (UNSC) Resolution 1244, thus endangering the survival of the Serb population and the interests of Serbia in the province.

The Serbian parliament finds that such activities of international missions represents a brutal violation of international law, and above all of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

Such acts and activities would directly endanger the sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia.

The interim institutions in Priština attempted to change by force the reality on the ground, exert additional pressure on Serbia, and to essentially annul Resolution 1244.

The government will undertake the necessary measures in order to assure consistent respect of Resolution 1244 and the framework of activities of state organs and other participants in the defense of sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia.

The government is particularly bound to act efficiently in all circumstances that could emerge, in order to protect lives and property, rights and freedoms of the residents of the province, and especially Serbs and other non-Albanian residents.

This framework envisages that the defense of interests of Serbia and the people in Kosovo and Metohija, as an integral part of Serbia, represent a priority for state institutions and all public factors in the state, while the best way to reach compromise is through dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, with status-neutral mediators with a UN mandate.

The government is obligated not to allow unilateral activities of the interim institutions in Priština that jeopardize peace, stability and a compromise solution, and to adopt concrete measures for continued state functions in the province, under conditions of additional obstruction and pressure from the Kosovo institutions and a part of the international community.