N. Kosovo Serbs: Resolution contrary to platform

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA Local officials in northern Kosovo say the draft resolution is contrary to the platform presented by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic in late December. The draft was adopted by the Serbian government in a joint meeting with the president on Wednesday, and will be voted on by MPs. N. Kosovo Serbs: Resolution contrary to platform The Serb local self government officials today sent an open letter to Nikolic, noting that the draft resolution on Kosovo that was adopted on Wednesday is not in keeping with the content of the platform, particularly its part because of which Serbs backed the platform at the end of December. The letter reads that they particularly backed the stands presented in the platform recommending that no further partial agreements be reached with the interim self-government institutions in Pristina within the technical dialogue and the stand that “nothing is agreed, until everything is agreed.” The open letter to Nikolic was signed by presidents of the three municipalities in northern Kosovo, and presidents of the four municipal assemblies who held a news conference at which they distributed copies of the letter to the reporters. Only president of the Kosovska Mitrovica municipality Krstimir Pantic, who is currently in Brussels, did not sign the letter. Head of the Kosovska Mitrovica District Radenko Nedeljkovic attended the press conference. The representatives of the four municipalities underscored in the letter that it is not enough that Serbia just repeats that it will not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, but that it is necessary to stop and prevent further expansion of the so-called "Republic of Kosovo" in the territory of the four municipalities in the northern part of the southern Serbian province by active measures of state bodies. They are of the opinion that the continuation of technical level talks and implementation of the agreements reached so far constitute indirect recognition of Kosovo's independence. After the implementation of the reached agreements, the negotiating position of the Serbian government will be seriously in question. The north Kosovo Serbs are seriously concerned about the survival of Serbia's and local institutions, as they have so far been the main guarantor of Serbs' stay and survival in Kosovo, the letter reads. “The experience shows that there are no Serbs, where there are no institutions of the Republic of Serbia,” warned the representatives of the local self-government in northern Kosovo and Metohija. The latest event in relation to the arrest and maltreatment of ten Serbs in Leposavic after the Christmas liturgy in the Gracanica Monastery (January 7) unequivocally illustrates the way in which institutions of the so-called Republic of Kosovo treat Serbs and what could be expected of them in the future, representatives of the four municipalities wrote in the letter addressed to the Serbian president. A file photo of a meeting between Serb representatives and Nikolic (Beta) Tanjug

N. Kosovo Serbs: Resolution contrary to platform

The Serb local self government officials today sent an open letter to Nikolić, noting that the draft resolution on Kosovo that was adopted on Wednesday is not in keeping with the content of the platform, particularly its part because of which Serbs backed the platform at the end of December.

The letter reads that they particularly backed the stands presented in the platform recommending that no further partial agreements be reached with the interim self-government institutions in Priština within the technical dialogue and the stand that “nothing is agreed, until everything is agreed.”

The open letter to Nikolić was signed by presidents of the three municipalities in northern Kosovo, and presidents of the four municipal assemblies who held a news conference at which they distributed copies of the letter to the reporters.

Only president of the Kosovska Mitrovica municipality Krstimir Pantić, who is currently in Brussels, did not sign the letter. Head of the Kosovska Mitrovica District Radenko Nedeljković attended the press conference.

The representatives of the four municipalities underscored in the letter that it is not enough that Serbia just repeats that it will not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, but that it is necessary to stop and prevent further expansion of the so-called "Republic of Kosovo" in the territory of the four municipalities in the northern part of the southern Serbian province by active measures of state bodies.

They are of the opinion that the continuation of technical level talks and implementation of the agreements reached so far constitute indirect recognition of Kosovo's independence.

After the implementation of the reached agreements, the negotiating position of the Serbian government will be seriously in question.

The north Kosovo Serbs are seriously concerned about the survival of Serbia's and local institutions, as they have so far been the main guarantor of Serbs' stay and survival in Kosovo, the letter reads.

“The experience shows that there are no Serbs, where there are no institutions of the Republic of Serbia,” warned the representatives of the local self-government in northern Kosovo and Metohija.

The latest event in relation to the arrest and maltreatment of ten Serbs in Leposavić after the Christmas liturgy in the Gračanica Monastery (January 7) unequivocally illustrates the way in which institutions of the so-called Republic of Kosovo treat Serbs and what could be expected of them in the future, representatives of the four municipalities wrote in the letter addressed to the Serbian president.