Serbian leaders to tackle Serb participation in Kosovo institutions

BBCM, Jun 23, 2005, 19:00 GMT

Text of report by Serbian radio on 25 June

The state leadership will decide next week about a potential entry of Serbs into the interim institutions of Kosovo and Metohija. This is what Coordination Centre chief Nebojsa Covic said today. Mirjana Naerlovic reports from a news conference he held today:

[Naerlovic] Speculation about Serbs joining the interim institutions of Kosovo and Metohija are causing the greatest harm to representatives of the Serb community, Coordination Centre chief Covic believes:

[Covic] In view of specific circumstances that surrounded provincial elections, I believe it is very important that the decision is made in cooperation with Belgrade. This decision should consider Serb representatives' participation and non-participation in Kosovo and Metohija. As I have said, in the course of this or early next week a meeting should be called and a new assessment made. This should not give rise to any disagreements, I believe.

[Naerlovic] Covic believes there are no arguments against Serbs joining Kosovo institutions before September as some individuals from Kosovo and Metohija have been announcing. Commenting on who will be the true representative of Serbs, he says:

[Covic] It is relatively easy to identify true representatives of the Serb community. This should be agreed by political subjects responsible for what constitutes the policy of the Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija.

[Naerlovic] Knowing that a new round of talks on Kosovo and Metohija will start in the autumn it is important that by September a dialogue at the highest level also begins between Belgrade and Pristina, Nebojsa Covic concluded.

Source: Radio Belgrade in Serbian 1300 gmt 25 Jun 05