Serbia launches diplomatic offensive

Serbia launches diplomatic offensive

The visit comes as the first in a bid to secure support for Serbia’s position with the non-permanent council members ahead of a new UN Security Council session that will discuss Ahtisaari’s proposal and possibly a new Kosovo resolution.

“I expect to explain to the South African leaders that Serbia’s stance is that of compromise, that we cannot allow for our state borders to change, as that would represent a serious attack on the UN Charter and the dignity of our state and nation.”

“I believe my hosts will understand our position. The whole of Africa fears Ahtisaari’s plan, since a resolution violently changing Serbia’s borders would mean that there isn’t a single African state with safe borders,” Drašković said.

Drašković said the diplomatic initiative over Kosovo was “happening around the clock.”

“Prime minister Koštunica has already been to New York, I believe the president’s emissary will travel to Indonesia in a few days, and later to Qatar. [Diplomats] will travel to Peru and Panama, as well as to the European capitals. It seems a little odd, but our greatest chance lies with the non-permanent Security Council members. All it takes is for six of them to abstain. In that case, Russian or Chinese veto would be unnecessary. The resolution would go down,” Drašković concluded.