Serbian parliament to discuss resolution on continuity of its Kosovo policy
The Serbian parliament is set to discuss the proposed resolution on the continuity of state policy towards Kosovo, with a key message that by no means Serbia is ready to renounce its sovereignty in the province, Serbia’s Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic said.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, July 16, 2008
He also said that he wanted to avoid Serbia's policy to be a prey of "party politics".
"The fate of Kosovo has to be the most important issue, as it is of both national and state interest. The use of Kosovo in daily politics can only damage us, the Serbs living there," he said.
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic appealed on all parties in the Parliament to adopt the resolution.
"I am appealing to the ruling and opposition parties to vote for the resolution on the absolute and undoubted continuity of the state policy on Kosovo," Jeremic said.
He argued Serbia's policy on Kosovo remains the same, and that "it is of utmost importance that there is absolute continuity, as well as a unity of the state policy regarding the province."
He added that the composition of the Parliament might have changed, but not Serbia's state policy on Kosovo.
"We have based the strength of our policy on the unity of the state policy. It must be preserved regardless of the fact that the authorities have changed, because all the parties that have supported this policy are still in Parliament," said the Serbian minister.
Jeremic said that, although the authorities in Serbia, according to the Action Plan, are not to have contacts with top representatives of countries that have recognized Kosovo, an exception has been made with the reception to mark the French national holiday, because, as Jeremic said, this country is presiding over the EU.
He announced that he will travel to Paris on Wednesday, where he is meeting with the French foreign minister, who is the presiding official of the EU. On Thursday, he is to travel to Moscow, where he will hold "top level talks" on Kosovo, and he will then meet in New York on July 18 with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
"With him I will discuss the international civilian presence in the province. It is our stand that there can be no reconfiguration of the international civilian presence in the province without the approval of Serbia and without the final confirmation of the UN Security Council," Jeremic said.
