Kosovo Serbs reiterate independence "unacceptable"

Text of report by Serbian independent news agency FoNet

Belgrade, 6 October: Representatives of the Serbs from Kosovo-Metohija told the chairwoman of the Coordination Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Sanda Raskovic-Ivic that they "want to be one team which is state-making, united and constructive", a statement from the Coordination Centre has said.

Representatives of Serbs from all parts of Kosmet [Kosovo-Metohija] gave their support to the policy of state's top echelon over Kosovo-Metohija, noting that the independence of the province, conditional or unconditional, was unacceptable, the statement said.

They emphasized that achieving Standards for KiM [Kosovo-Metohija] should make the core of Kosmet's future, and that institutionalized protection, which protected human rights, had to represent the essence of an all-encompassing decentralization of Kosovo-Metohija.

The solution for Kosmet can be imposed only through violence - whether it is political violence or sheer physical violence - but the Serbs will not and could not give up their rights.

Serb representatives also spoke about security issues, new pressures against the Serb population, as well as humanitarian problems ahead of the winter.

All participations of the talks in the Coordination Centre agreed that meetings like this one today, should be more frequent and that an as wide as possible circle of political representatives of the Serbs from Kosovo-Metohija should be included in the discussions, Coordination Centre's information service said.

Source: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1553 gmt 6 Oct 05