“Only talks, deals guarantee Serbs’ survival in Kosovo”

BELGRADE There is no other way to guarantee survival and prosperity of the Serbian people in Kosovo except through talks and agreements, Milovan Drecun told B92. The Serbian parliament's Committee on Kosovo chairman that there were many misunderstandings but that there were also those who did not want stabilization of the situation so they intentionally maliciously interpreted some solutions. “Only talks, deals guarantee Serbs’ survival in Kosovo” “Once all that is explained to Serbian people in Kosovo, I have no doubt in my mind that the agreement will be accepted, regardless of the fact that we are not satisfied with all its regulations,” Drecun noted. He also elaborated on some solutions from the agreement. “When it comes to jobs, they will not be closed. Not a single one of them. Secondly, funds from the budget of the Republic of Serbia for Kosovo will remain the same and will not be reduced. This means that the state of Serbia will continue to finance all institutions inside the community of Serb municipalities and Pristina will finance them additionally. Then, all those who live in Kosovo are Serbian citizens. If Albanians living there do not want the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia, that is their problem but the Serbian people will still have the Serbian citizenship,” he said. “The fact that Pristina will enter newborn Serb children into their birth records and give them citizenship and nationality of Kosovo does not mean anything to us, we will have our own birth records, for example in northern Kosovo, where we will register newborn children and give them the Republic of Serbia’s citizenship,” Drecun added. He stressed that everything was being done in accordance with the so-called “double key” principle where Serbia respected the reality of the self-proclaimed state but without recognition. The Committee on Kosovo chairman claims that the agreement could bring significant improvement and guarantees for the security of the Serbs. “At the same time, the agreement is the most important link for the future of the entire Serbia. If we rejected it, 7.5 million of central Serbia’s citizens, but also those in Kosovo, would face a situation of an almost hopeless perspective,” he underscored. Milovan Drecun (Tanjug, file) B92

“Only talks, deals guarantee Serbs’ survival in Kosovo”

“Once all that is explained to Serbian people in Kosovo, I have no doubt in my mind that the agreement will be accepted, regardless of the fact that we are not satisfied with all its regulations,” Drecun noted.

He also elaborated on some solutions from the agreement.

“When it comes to jobs, they will not be closed. Not a single one of them. Secondly, funds from the budget of the Republic of Serbia for Kosovo will remain the same and will not be reduced. This means that the state of Serbia will continue to finance all institutions inside the community of Serb municipalities and Priština will finance them additionally. Then, all those who live in Kosovo are Serbian citizens. If Albanians living there do not want the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia, that is their problem but the Serbian people will still have the Serbian citizenship,” he said.

“The fact that Priština will enter newborn Serb children into their birth records and give them citizenship and nationality of Kosovo does not mean anything to us, we will have our own birth records, for example in northern Kosovo, where we will register newborn children and give them the Republic of Serbia’s citizenship,” Drecun added.

He stressed that everything was being done in accordance with the so-called “double key” principle where Serbia respected the reality of the self-proclaimed state but without recognition.

The Committee on Kosovo chairman claims that the agreement could bring significant improvement and guarantees for the security of the Serbs.

“At the same time, the agreement is the most important link for the future of the entire Serbia. If we rejected it, 7.5 million of central Serbia’s citizens, but also those in Kosovo, would face a situation of an almost hopeless perspective,” he underscored.