Imposed solution for Kosovo may lead to ethnic clashes with unpredictable consequences

Government of Serbia
Date: 23 Sep 2006

Belgrade/New York, Sept 23, 2006 - Serbian President Boris Tadic said yesterday in the UN Security Council's session dedicated to Kosovo-Metohija that any imposed solution could lead to ethnic clashes with hardly predictable consequences.

Kosovo-Metohija's independence would be harmful for at least three reasons.

First of all, it goes against international law that clearly excludes the option of separating part of a territory that belongs to a sovereign, democratic and internationally recognised country.

Secondly, this would impose a serious damage to Serbia, that is doing everything possible in favour of reaching an agreement that would be acceptable for both sides.

Finally, this situation would result in ethnic clashes with hardly predictable consequences. That would seriously destabilise several countries in the region, and their EU integration would be prolonged substantially, said Tadic.

The Serbian President said that decentralisation and protection of Serbian religious and cultural heritage were topics most discussed during the Vienna talks and that Serbia presented "realistic, balanced and detailed proposals".

Tadic recalled that the over seven years passed since the international administration was introduced in the province, and two-thirds of the Kosovo Serbs are still internally displaced in central Serbia.

Those who remained in Kosovo, despite threats, discriminations and pressures, live in extremely difficult conditions, fearing for themselves and their families and their future is completely uncertain, said the President.

He said that political suspense must grow in a situation like that and that nice words uttered by ethnic Albanian politicians from Kosovo mean nothing if there is no real readiness to return rights and freedoms to the Serb community that they were deprived from after 1999.

Tadic recalled that Serbia came up with a compromise offer about the province's status and said that "this solution at this moment is the only one that would provide a peaceful solution to the Kosovo problem in full harmony with basic principles of international law".

He repeated that the Serbian proposal would provide a very wide autonomy for ethnic Albanians in Kosovo-Metohija within Serbia and added that economically and politically it would provide them to manage their own affairs, which would remove any fear they could be dominated over by Belgrade.

The constitutional solution suggested by Serbia would guarantee repeated negotiations on Kosovo-Metohija after a number of years, Tadic explained.

He stressed that Serbia is ready to constructively participate in further negotiations on the status that would result in an agreement.

Serbia is completely resolved to solve the Kosovo issue by respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country, Tadic said and recalled that Serbian parliament recently passed a decision confirming the constitutional position of Kosovo-Metohija as part of Serbia.

Tadic said that this is a completely natural response to all that has been going on in connection with Kosovo during the Vienna talks and elsewhere and added that Kosovo's independence would be a dangerous precedent that would lead to clashes in many other parts of the world.

The Serbian President warned that possible independence for the province would seriously question the crucial goal of all countries of the region - political, economic and cultural integration of the Balkans in the region.

Ethnic clashes that would emerge unavoidably would be difficult to control.

They would also negatively influence the political climate in many Balkan countries. Territorial and national issues would come to light and suppress the complex and long-lasting ones related to EU integration, said Tadic.

Only direct talks can produce solution for Kosovo

Government of Serbia
Date: 25 Sep 2006

Belgrade, Sept 25, 2006 - Coordinator of the state team for negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said yesterday that in the continuation of talks between Belgrade and Pristina, international intermediary Martti Ahtisaari will insist on shuttle diplomacy in reaching a solution for Kosovo.

Samardzic told the Tanjug news agency that he believes that international intermediaries should insist on direct talks between the opposing sides if they want to achieve success in the negotiations, ie to find a compromising solution.

According to Samardzic, that means that representatives of Belgrade and Pristina should negotiate directly, whether in case of talks at the highest level or in case of working groups and delegations that discuss practical and technical issues.

"However, my impression is that as long as Ahtisaari is at the head the negotiating process, he will insist more on shuttle diplomacy. He will probably draw up a proposal of recommendations for the solution of the status and then go with his team between Belgrade and Pristina and test the opinions on his proposal," Samardzic said.

He explained that that is a poor negotiating method because instead of enabling the sides involved to gradually reach a common stance, Ahtisaari will come up with an abstract proposal which has not come from the opposing sides but is intended to bring them closer.

According to Samardzic, Belgrade and Pristina can come to a solution much more quickly if pressures are not made. But, if a time ultimatum is set then shuttle diplomacy is technically a better solution. However, shuttle diplomacy has never brought good results so it will not now either.

He said that it is necessary that someone with a different mandate and different style of mediation and conducting negotiations from that of Ahtisaari take over the issue after the expiry of his mandate and then to set to a more intensive, direct and serious negotiation process.

Samardzic said that in order to make a progress in the negotiations with Pristina it is necessary that international intermediaries led by Martti Ahtisaari "change the method of mediation as well". That means that they should remove the time pressure and insist on the clear goals of reaching a compromising solution for Kosovo based on the agreement of both sides, as it is laid down in the statement of the Contract Group, Samardzic said.

Raskovic-Ivic condemns latest attacks against Kosovo Serbs

Government of Serbia
Date: 26 Sep 2006

Kosovska Mitrovica, Sept 26, 2006 - President of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Sanda Raskovic-Ivic most severely condemned the latest attacks against Kosovo Serbs and noted that Albanians want to frighten both Serbs and international community with violence.

Speaking on radio Kontakt-Plus from Kosovska Mitrovica, she noted that the latest attack against Serbs sends a message that Serbs are unwelcome, whereas the message for international community is that Albanians will lose patience if the Kosovo status talks ends negatively for them.

She said that the international community will not give in to the threat of violence, and recalled that Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija have put up with worse times than this in the past

According to Raskovic-Ivic, Serbs and other non-Albanians are resolved to stay in the province as they saw through intentions of Albanian extremists to cleanse Kosovo, which would make Serbia's fight for its territory senseless.

UNMIK and its officials should stop turning their heads away from reality in Kosovo-Metohija so that they can see who the victim really is and who the aggressor is, Raskovic-Ivic stressed.

Ibar Bridge closed again

(RTS/Tanjug)

In the immediate vicinity of the main bridge on the Ibar River, in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, several Albanians attacked Serb Aleksandar Curic, who received minor injuries in the incident, after which the bridge has been closed again. Regional Commander of the UNMIK Police Gerry Smith has confirmed that Albanians attacked Curic and that the bridge will be completely closed for traffic. UNMIK representatives, KPS and KFOR did not say whether and when the Ibar Bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica would be re-opened again. UNMIK Deputy head Steven Schook has stated that he will see after talks with representatives of KFOR, the municipality in southern Mitrovica and others whether and when the bridge will be opened. 

Kosovo Serb political representatives have assessed that the opening of the bridge was rushed out and politically motivated, and they required that the bridge be closed until the completion of the negotiations on the status of the province.

Representatives of the Contact Group member-countries in Pristina have fiercely condemned the recent attacks in Kosovska Mitrovica, Vitina, Gnjilane, Urosevac and Klina, assessing that violence is unacceptable for the international community at this “sensitive” moment for Kosovo, stated the British Office in Pristina. Stressing that this is a very important period for Kosovo, the Contact Group representatives have conveyed that those who are resorting to force should know that violence is unacceptable for the international community and that it will only inflict damage to their goals, especially at “this sensitive moment” for Kosovo.

The Head of the CCK Sanda Raskovic-Ivic strongly condemned the latest attacks on Kosovo Serbs, assessing that the aim of ethnic Albanians was to intimidate both Serbs and the international community. With the latest attacks, the Albanians are sending a message that Serbs are not welcome and that this is how it will be with those who return to the province, while a message is sent to the international community that Albanians lost patience and that in case of a negative outcome for them they will react aggressively, Raskovic-Ivic told Radio Kontakt Plus.

Kosovo Serb representatives on Tuesday condemned in the strongest terms incidents which had occurred in Kosovska Mitrovica and the Lug village near Istok, stressing that UNMIK police and KFOR had to do all in their power to protect the Kosovo Serb community.
SNC for Kosovo has strongly condemned the terrorist attack at Serb returnees to Istok and voiced its concern over the fact that apart from the condemnation of such acts, there were no concrete results in the search and arrest of their perpetrators.