Serbia seeks compromise on Kosovo

Makfax news agency, Skoplje, 15.01.2007 16:47

 

Belgrade - Serbia is not retreating from finding peaceful solution for the Kosovo issue, which should be acceptable both for Belgrade and for Pristina, said today Serbian leaders.

 

President and Foreign Minister of Serbia, Boris Tadic and Vuk Draskovic, said this on separate meetings in Belgrade with chiefs of diplomacies of Slovakia and Sweden, Jan Kubis and Carl Bildt.

 

"Serbia opposes any solution that would imply any kind of Kosovo's independence", said Tadic after the meeting with Kubis.

 

Tadic reiterated Serbian position for essential autonomy for Kosovo and pointed out that Belgrade authorities are willing to continue negotiations for future status of the province.

 

Chief of Serbian diplomacy Vuk Draskovic, after the meeting with his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt said that independent Kosovo is absolutely unacceptable for Serbia. "There is no independence for Kosovo, but instead a compromise solution must be found, serving the best interests of both Serbs and Albanians", said Draskovic.

 

Bildt, as reported by Serbian media, announced that Kosovo issue will be placed high on European Union's agenda and after Martti Ahtisaari's proposal most probably a new resolution of the UN Security Council will be adopted, settling the status of Kosovo.

 

The chief of Swedish diplomacy said that Serbs have paid high price because of Slobodan Milosevic's policy and that it is time Serbia to move forward, emphasizing that Europe has strong interest in the European perspective of Serbia and the whole region.

 

From the other side, political representatives of Kosovo Serbs said on Monday that eventual one-sided declaration of Kosovo's independence would lead to division of the province.

 

"The division of Kosovo is inevitable if Pristina declares independence that later would be recognized by particular states", said the leader of Serb List for Kosovo, Oliver Ivanovic. /end/