Servische Minister van Buitenlandse Zaken spreekt in Straatsburg over onafhankelijkheidsverklaring Kosovo (en)

Serbia's foreign minister, Vuk Jeremic, speaking on Wednesday at the EP Foreign Affairs Committee in Strasbourg, revealed his mixed feelings of pride as well as shame as a European, following the recognition of Kosovo's independence by several EU Member States. MEPs quizzed him about Serbia's "European destiny" and whether Belgrade might violence against Pristina.

"A majority of the European Parliament i believes the situation in Kosovo is untenable", said the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (EPP-ED, PL), adding that he "understood" the position of the Serbian authorities on Kosovo. He also emphasised that the EU's decision to send a police mission was "not an act of defiance towards Belgrade".

The Serbian minister said he had mixed feelings, of pride as well as shame, as a European. He felt pride at "the heritage, culture and belief that link me to a constellation of states who have become reconciled" following the Second World War but also shame as a European "who knows in his heart of hearts that what has been done to Serbia is a violation of the international system and of the values underlying European integration" (a reference to UN resolution 1244 of 1999, which put Kosovo under the administration of a UN mission). "If this act of secession for ethnic reasons is not a mistake, nothing is a mistake", he argued.

Double standards by the international community

Mr Jeremic compared the situation of the Kosovars to that of the Iraqi Kurds, in two countries which had been ruled by tyrants and where minorities were oppressed, under Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussein, the difference being that the "international community is not prepared to recognise the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan" as it has that of Kosovo.

Replying to a question by José Ignacio Salafranca (EPP-ED, ES), who asked whether dialogue might still be possible between the two sides, the Serbian minister said "the repeated statements by the major powers in favour of the independence of Kosovo did not enable such an agreement to be reached".

Serbia's European destiny

Hannes Swoboda (PES, AT), backed by Vittorio Agnoletto (GUE/NGL, IT) and Jan Marinus Wiersma (PES, NL), warned the minister against the temptation of breaking off ties with the EU.   Mr Jeremic answered that the independence of Kosovo would "obviously" affect the integration process of his country, saying "We are a proud democracy. We have no choice".

The use of violence

"Serbia will not leave quietly, we will fight and we will not tolerate this secession. We will use all diplomatic, political and economic means at our disposal, without resorting to force", said Mr Jeremic in reply to Joost Lagendijk (Greens/EFA, NL), who asked if the Serbian government might use violence by civilians to destabilise the new Albanian-speaking state.

"The current violence in Kosovo is regrettable. We do not encourage or support this violence", said Mr Jeremic, referring to the attack on two border posts between Serbia and northern Kosovo in which the NATO force (KFOR) had been obliged to intervene.

Stabilisation agreement

Mr Saryusz-Wolski called for a stabilisation agreement to be signed between the EU and Serbia. The draft stabilisation accord initialled in December 2007 is among the priorities of the Slovene presidency of the EU.

Extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Discussion with Serbian foreign minister Vuk Jeremic on the consequences of Kosovo's declaration of independence.

19/02/2008

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (EPP-ED, PL)