News | Serbian Unity Congress

March 12, 2008 on 6:51 am | In Kosovo & Metohija, News in English |

By EDITH M. LEDERER

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Serbia and Russia have demanded that the U.N. administration in Kosovo halt the transfer of authority to the European Union, calling a handover illegal and declaring they will never recognize the independence of the Serb province.

But the United States and Britain, who were among the first countries to recognize Kosovo after its Feb. 17 declaration of independence, said debates over whether Kosovo should have seceded are over and it’s now time to address the future of an independent Kosovo.

The EU is expected to take over U.N. administration of Kosovo and has sent a mission to implement Kosovo’s pledges under a U.N.-drafted plan for supervised independence. The plan was never approved by the Security Council because of Russian opposition, but it is supported by Washington and key EU nations.

Kosovo came under U.N. and NATO administration after a NATO-led air war halted former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic’s crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in 1999.

Serbia, which considers the territory its historic and religious heartland, has rejected Kosovo’s statehood as illegal. Russia has backed Serbia, its traditional ally.

Serbia asked to address the Security Council Tuesday to discuss what its foreign minister, Vuk Jeremic, called “the dangerous consequences of the unilateral, illegal and illegitimate declaration of independence.”

He reiterated that Serbia “will employ all legal, diplomatic and political means at our disposal to continue asserting our core sovereign rights.” But he again ruled out military action and an economic embargo, which he said would hurt Serbia’s goal of a peaceful and prosperous Kosovo.

“Let me be clear: It is not that the EU is unwelcome in our southern province. For we do welcome, as a matter of principle, any demonstration of Europe’s deepening commitment to our country, including Kosovo,” he said. “But there has to be a clear legal mandate for any such commitment - and this can only be achieved by getting the approval of the Security Council.”

But the Security Council remains hopelessly divided over Kosovo.

A draft statement circulated Tuesday by Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin was almost immediately rejected by the U.S. and British envoys. It calls for the preservation of Serbia’s territorial integrity and for a settlement acceptable to both parties.

“It’s based on a premise which is now overtaken,” Britain’s U.N. Ambassador John Sawers said of the Russian statement.

Sawers said the EU’s role in Kosovo is not illegal. The 27-member bloc has always been part of the U.N. Mission in Kosovo and it is now a larger part than it was before, he said.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said Serbia and Kosovo must talk to each other and “come to an understanding based on the new reality - they are new neighbors with a lot of common interests.”

“Anything that focuses on how to help Kosovo consolidate its independence … and work toward cooperation between Serbia and Kosovo … we are certainly going to look at,” Khalilzad said.

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Serbia demands immediate halt to UNMIK-EULEX transfer, B92

NEW YORK — Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić addressed the UN Security Council in New York today.

He once again pointed to the dangerous consequences of Kosovo’s unilateral, illegal and illegitimate declaration of indepedence, Beta news agency reports.

Jeremić also told the Security Council ambassador that the proclamation violates the foundations on which the international system functions.

“Serbia will not accept imposed solutions which violate our legitimate national interests,” Jeremić said, during the Kosovo session, called at Serbia’s request.

UN Resolution 1244 must be respected in its entirety, as it gives UNMIK a clear mandate in Kosovo, Jeremić said, and added that Serbia opposes a transfer of jurisdiction from UNMIK to any other body, demanding an immediate halt to activities designed to that end.

The foreign minister expressed regret that some European countries have teamed up to establish a police and judicial mission, EULEX, and associated International Steering Group, ISG.

Both, Jeremić reminded, are implementing the Ahtisaari blueprint that was not approved by the Security Council - which is the only body authorized to give legitimacy to any international presence in Kosovo.

“Therefore, Serbia considers both these bodies to be outside the parameters of Resolution 1244 and outside the UN Charter and Helsinki Final Act principles,” he told the session.

Europe is welcome to Serbia, including to its southern province, Jeremić said, but it must have a clear legal mandate.

He also said Serbia was looking toward the European Union, and called for overcoming of the current differences.

“Serbia is ready to be a constructive partner in achieving regional peace, stability and reconciliation,” the minister explained.

Jeremić called on those countries that have recognized Kosovo’s unilateral proclamation of independence to reexamine their decisions, at the same time urging on those who have decided against such a move to remain steadfast and help Serbia defend against undermining of the very foundation of the international system.

“Have international relations been improved by snatching Kosovo away from a democratic country? Will Kosovo, as an entity in a vacuum where it cannot receive international legitimacy that springs from UN membership, be capable of achieving sustainable prosperity without Belgrade? Will regional stability and cooperation improve with a perverse choice our neighbors are forced to make between Kosovo and Serbia,” Jeremić wondered.

“As long as there are attempts to exclude Serbia, she will continue to turn to the UN and use all legitimate diplomatic and political means to continue to defend her sovereign rights,” Jeremić continued.

“We must start talking to one another honestly,” he added.

The minister also reminded that the majority of people in Serbia reacted to the unilateral secession in a dignified manner in a mass rally of Feb. 21, but added that a small number of those who gathered on that day turned to violence.

He offered his apologies to those countries whose embassies were damaged during the riots and described the unrest as unacceptable.

“Violence is not the answer. Not in Belgrade, not in Kosovska Mitrovica, not in Priština. Nowhere in Serbia,” Jeremić specified.

Serbia wishes no ill to the Kosovo Albanians and sees “joint progress” as its vital interest, he said, adding that this was the reason Belgrade opted against an economic embargo on the province and also in favor of a clear policy not to use military force.

“At the same time we will do all in our power to make sure Kosovo Serbs are not isolated in ghettos as they have been for the past eight years,” Jeremić said.

The minister voiced his Democratic Party (DS) official position when he said that the parliamentary vote that will likely take place in May will demonstrate differences on Serbia’s European future, but that differences over Kosovo “do not exist”.

Related posts:

• Albanian Love Gets More Expensive: Toll Booth, Georgia, Republican Riot blog (Julia Gorin)
• Revenge of the Balkans, The National Interest
• Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo: An Abbreviated History, Richard Jansen (Colorado State University)
• Kosovo: the terrible aftermath, Brian Barder
• Serbia warned not to play against EU camp, EurActiv