FM: Borders cannot be changed unilaterally

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic says borders of internationally recognized countries cannot be changed as someone chooses, and unilaterally. Speaking in Bern, Switzerland, on Thursday, he added that there are rules upon which a state is created and that what ethnic Albanians did in Kosovo was not in line with those rules. FM: Borders cannot be changed unilaterally Answering an Albanian journalist's question whether he thinks that during his mandate he “wasted his time” trying to convince other countries not to recognize Kosovo "instead of promoting good-neighborly relations, freedom and democracy on which the modern world is based", Jeremic told a press conference that both freedom and democracy are based on rules. "You cannot change borders of internationally recognized countries as you choose, using unilateral means. The rules of the international community and international law dictate the ways to create a state, and what ethnic Albanians and the local leadership of our southern province Kosovo and Metohija did on February 17 (2008) is not how a state can be created," he said. Jeremic also noted that his main task was to make that understood in all parts of the world. Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo unilaterally declared independence over four years ago, which Serbia has rejected. Jeremic also said that after the unilateral act, Serbia behaved in a way which made it possible for peace and stability to be preserved in the region. This was the first time that an armed conflict did not take place in the Balkans after a unilateral move of such capacity, he stressed. The Serbian foreign minister conferred in Bern with his Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter about the chairmanship over the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), for which both countries have submitted bids. Vuk Jeremic (file) FM meets with Swiss counterpart Jeremic and Burkhalter are discussing the cooperation between the two countries during their forthcoming chairmanship over the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The OSCE member countries reached a decision in Vienna on February 10 on the two countries' joint, successive chairmanship over the organization. Switzerland will be the OSCE chairman-in-office in 2014, and will be succeeded by Serbia a year later. Successive presidency is a novelty for the OSCE, and Switzerland and Serbia have agreed to cooperate closely and to set joint priorities during the two years. These priorities, as the Swiss Foreign Minister released earlier, include strengthening the role of the OSCE in resolving crises and conflicts, stepping up of efforts to solve protracted conflicts and cooperation with neighboring regions in Asia, the Near East and North Africa. Greater attention will also be paid to new threats to security such as organized crime, international terrorism and threats via the Internet. The two countries also want to reflect on possible institutional reforms to the OSCE. It will be the first time that Serbia will chair this organization, which gathers 56 countries worldwide. The fact that all 56 member countries of the OSCE supported Serbia's bid for presiding the organization in 2015 is a proof of the good reputation Serbia now enjoys in the world, Jeremic said commenting on the decision. "Many do not concur with Serbia, many even actively work against some of our priorities, many do not concur with the way we lead our foreign policy, but there is nobody who does not respect Serbia today," Jeremic said. Tanjug

FM: Borders cannot be changed unilaterally

Answering an Albanian journalist's question whether he thinks that during his mandate he “wasted his time” trying to convince other countries not to recognize Kosovo "instead of promoting good-neighborly relations, freedom and democracy on which the modern world is based", Jeremić told a press conference that both freedom and democracy are based on rules.

"You cannot change borders of internationally recognized countries as you choose, using unilateral means. The rules of the international community and international law dictate the ways to create a state, and what ethnic Albanians and the local leadership of our southern province Kosovo and Metohija did on February 17 (2008) is not how a state can be created," he said.

Jeremić also noted that his main task was to make that understood in all parts of the world.

Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo unilaterally declared independence over four years ago, which Serbia has rejected.

Jeremić also said that after the unilateral act, Serbia behaved in a way which made it possible for peace and stability to be preserved in the region.

This was the first time that an armed conflict did not take place in the Balkans after a unilateral move of such capacity, he stressed.

The Serbian foreign minister conferred in Bern with his Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter about the chairmanship over the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), for which both countries have submitted bids.

FM meets with Swiss counterpart

Jeremić and Burkhalter are discussing the cooperation between the two countries during their forthcoming chairmanship over the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The OSCE member countries reached a decision in Vienna on February 10 on the two countries' joint, successive chairmanship over the organization. Switzerland will be the OSCE chairman-in-office in 2014, and will be succeeded by Serbia a year later.

Successive presidency is a novelty for the OSCE, and Switzerland and Serbia have agreed to cooperate closely and to set joint priorities during the two years.

These priorities, as the Swiss Foreign Minister released earlier, include strengthening the role of the OSCE in resolving crises and conflicts, stepping up of efforts to solve protracted conflicts and cooperation with neighboring regions in Asia, the Near East and North Africa.

Greater attention will also be paid to new threats to security such as organized crime, international terrorism and threats via the Internet. The two countries also want to reflect on possible institutional reforms to the OSCE.

It will be the first time that Serbia will chair this organization, which gathers 56 countries worldwide.

The fact that all 56 member countries of the OSCE supported Serbia's bid for presiding the organization in 2015 is a proof of the good reputation Serbia now enjoys in the world, Jeremić said commenting on the decision.

"Many do not concur with Serbia, many even actively work against some of our priorities, many do not concur with the way we lead our foreign policy, but there is nobody who does not respect Serbia today," Jeremić said.