BELGRADE (AP)--The Serbian government Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution that rejects independence for Kosovo ahead of U.N.-mediated talks starting next month on the future of the breakaway province.
The text of the platform - drafted as a 10-point resolution - calls for unequivocal support for a compromise on Kosovo's future status yet warns that the province's "territory is an inalienable part" of Serbia and that "any imposed solution will be considered illegitimate and unacceptable" by Belgrade.
"The future status of Kosovo can only be defined within the norms and standards of the United Nations and other international organizations, at the same time fully respecting...the constitution of Serbia," the draft reads.
The resolution was posted on the government Web site after the Cabinet adopted it Tuesday. It also needs the approval of the Serbian parliament, tentatively set to meet over the weekend.
In Moscow Tuesday, Serbia's President Boris Tadic said that conflict could erupt if Kosovo's Albanians seek an independent state.
"I am absolutely against destabilization of the Balkan peninsula," Tadic said at the start of a Kremlin meeting with President Vladimir Putin during a three- day visit to Russia.
The draft leaves open the possibility that a national referendum be held in Serbia to approve the outcome of the U.N.-mediated talks with independence- seeking Kosovo Albanians.
Those negotiations are expected to start in December and end within a year.
The resolution offers Kosovo "essential" political and judicial autonomy and highlights that the Belgrade government is "determined that a concrete, reasonable, long-term and stable solution be found for Kosovo, taking into full consideration the legitimate interests of the (ethnic) Albanians in the province."
The draft also urged "direct negotiations" between the Serb side and the Kosovo Albanians.
Kosovo, considered by the Serbs to be the cradle of their statehood and religion, has been run by the U.N. since 1999, when North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombing halted a Serb crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanians.
The U.N. envoy to mediate talks on Kosovo's future, Finland's former President Martti Ahtisaari, was expected to visit Kosovo and Belgrade later this month and move to Vienna in December to start the negotiations.
The format of the talks still has to be determined but Ahtisaari, appointed by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, faces a difficult task with the two sides diametrically opposed - Kosovo's ethnic Albanians insisting on full independence while Belgrade contending this would constitute "unlawful secession." On the Web site: www.srbija.sr.gov.yu
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
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11 comments:
I agree with Kosova being a Switzerland or Dubai or Hong Kong, somewhere where business will flourish standards of life raised to the highest of levels, rather then Vatican.
I can't understand since when Serbians have become this brave. Did Putin the devil whisper something on their ears.
I think albanians are prepared for any situation.
We have got the music and places where to celebrate our independence Europe AND the entire Diasopora will be on fire with the parties that albanins will throw ( ohh im so looking forward to them)
If Serbia descides to be stupid and make silly mistake by trying to enter Kosova well Balkans will be on fire LITERALLY on fire
theilirian why bring up the subject of religion. By you saying 'am not a christian Albanian' well seriously christian albanians are not that much against islam as people like yourself are. '95% of us don't give a hoot about islam' You are wrong yet again Go and look at the mosques on friday people are spilling on the street for prayers. Albanians in Macedonia are majority muslims that live by islamic morals same applies to Kosova.
Stop applying the card look at us we have been oppressed by turks religion has been put on us. Give me a break I have not been occupied by turks I have chosen to live islamic morals and many Albanians choose to do so. You forgive Europe that has split us piece by pieces. But not forgive Ottomons for giving us ISLAM.
Seriously accept that majority of albanians are Muslims and respect the religion. I am getting pissed off with your islamophobic comments on these blogs
Ivan, Zenman logic is Albanians have always lived in Kosova allways. how do you suggest that we go to albania we never came from albania in first place. We lived there since the begging of time, 200 000 serbs are you crazy seriously they were never that many serbs in Kosova. By the way ivan millions of albanians were driven away from Kosova when Serbian soldiers planned to massacre them all.
You mention we never appologised for burning of churches. Our parliment did also set aside our tax money to repair and refurbish the churches.You have flattened majority of mosques in Kosova. When the riots happened in March you burned the mosque in Nish. You have not apologised for none of your crime you justtry and make excuses and give reasons why you have doneit
Serbs that have been driven away and not guilty they welcome to their homes. But Serbs like my neighbour 'Dejan' also we used to call the other neighbour 'Brko' I used to see them washing blood off their hands after their operations. I remember like today his promise 'Ja ubije svi ove shiptar' Well serbs like him that have been driven away I tell you now they will never live in peace in Kosova.
Its not blind hate its fresh wounds that I'm having flashback from. Indepence will be a medicine for most of my wounds. I will try forget sometimes in the future but never forgive.
Well IVAN belive you me my neighbour and all Kosovar Serbs tried to kill or expel us all. I can remember when we were forced to go to albania and we were passing through serbian check points and they were throwing kid's fireworks to scare us. Btw there was all elderly women and children in our group. They would lead us to walk near trenches so they NATO would bomb.
Also in Prizren opposite sports centre they digged up a massive hole where they planned to massacre everyone left in prizren.Evidence of this plan was found in police station.
Belive you me they tried to kill us all but we fought back and they didnt succed.
Arianit thanks for helping me out here.
Iavan
1) There wasn't any gesture of laughter while i was telling you my distrust in your numbers. You claim 200000out + 100000in That makes 300 thousand out of the population of 2million. well abanians are 90% majority well if you know your maths it just doesnt add up you even haven't left any piece of the pie to other minorities.
2)Serbs isolate themselfs by order of Belegrade. Believe you me Serbs that are not gulity they do walk around Prishtina and aother cities freely. Btw Kosova has got its own law on car number plates why do try and risk yourslefs by showing you have got a serbian number plate may I add number plate wasnt BG or any other serbian it PZ (well out of date) We do invite you to join and be Kosovars and not think that you will join Serbia again.
3)As my good friend arianit pointed out high school children made most of the burning. Well Kfor should have pushed them away but didn't I question their intentions?
4) March violonce unemployment low standards of living ( still better then under serbia) Provocation by serbs occuping albanian property in Mitrovica load and loads more reasons
5) Well if it was serbian property it will remain so. Look at the recent campaign of Kosovar goverment and OSCE.As i said some of them will not come back because of the crimes they have comitted may I add most of serbs have sold their houses in Kosova I know loads of cases where they don't plan coming back.
6) Well after Tito remember there wasnt albanian Slovens , Croats , Macedons wanted to break away too. Because Milosevic had the nationalist idea of expand SErbia. Also kosovar were not happy with no investment to their infrostructure The tax money was going back to serbia never coming back to People taht paid Removing of the autonomy by milosevic. Well there we go thats why we wanted republic
7)Yeah point Skadarska is it not a village come on if thats the case there will be about 30 to 40 States in a country stop being pathetic. There are more albanins in TUrkey then they are in Albania we dont claim their land Im hearing the bronx is almost majority albanian we dont claim that . We claim where it is wrightly ours
If you have more to ask Throw them but hope this has answred you questions
Thank you Visit Prishtina for taking your time to reply IVAN. You just reflected all my views exactly as I wanted them. But didnt have the time to look over my spelling and grammar when i posted just before you did.
Well done again Brilliant comment.
Prince of Albania I would just like to say 'speak for yourself'.
I don't drink alcohol and by the way I do live in a western society where a pint of Guiness is considered as breakfast. As for pork well bacon is also a breakfast here. I avoid both I still keep my tradition. When they ask me where I'm from I say KOSOVA some don't know where that is I say proudly I am an ALBANIAN. When it comes to religion well I am muslim and I do keep my morals high I do defend islam when its attacked. I was just addressing the growing islamophobia around the world especially in Albanian society. It is a form of discrimination. Yes there are the stereotypical Albanians that do everything contradictory to islam but still say they are muslims. Believe you me that is growing in all nationalisties I am aware of the Asian communties that do the same drink alcohol,drugs,eat pork etc and say I'm a muslim.
I think we have a very healthy islamic society in Kosova.I simply think it is fiercrly under attack at the moment. If you want to keep state and religion apart fine by me just don't attack it and come to provoctive conlcusion that religion hasn't brought anything. Read a little bit more on the benefits of Islam to our society and examine when people loose touch with it, Example our youth in clubs where they have no dignity, morals drug use in the rise, prostitution loosing touch with the reality. Well my religion keeps me away from above even when I am experiencing student life in Britain where all those experimentation is a must in any youth.
Those morals i have learned when i was little in Kosova the place where it is becoming a hub of drug use and prostituation. I just suggest to do a bit more research on the socialogical part of religion and not just politics or the current affairs of 'War on Terrorism'
Nationalism is not as powerful now. It will be useless especially when we join EU where you are Eurpean and everything is respected all thinking all religions. Albanian is what my nationalty is what I am identified as, Muslim is in my heart and soul bases that I have chosen to live my life by, thing that keeps me away from those devilish things that I mentioned above. Its what i believe and no one will stop me in calling to or protecting something that I believe is the truth.
Prince of Albania I really didn't want to open this topic. All I asked was respect my religion and respect if Albanians want to be muslims. If you are an atheist or christian or 'albanist' well i respect you stands and I would love to here or read from your books and learn you bases of life and death and all issues that surround human beings. I respect them all.
Ilirianboy and Mir well done you have found the basis of compromise. And now albanian should hold hands and join serbia and walk into the sunset and forget what has happened within 700years and join together again to fight this war against islam
Ilirian boy You are playing a very dangerous game my friend very dangerous. Might as well as be on the same side as serbs no difference to me since now i understand your agenda
The Romans ruled Illyria--which now became the province of Illyricum--for about six centuries. Under Roman rule Illyrian society underwent great change, especially in its outward, material aspect. Art and culture flourished, particularly in Apollonia, whose school of philosophy became celebrated in antiquity. To a great extent, though, the Illyrians resisted assimilation into Roman culture. Illyrian culture survived, along with the Illyrian tongue, though many Latin words entered the language and later became a part of the Albanian language. Christianity manifested itself in Illyria during Roman rule, about the middle of the 1st century AD. At first the new religion had to compete with Oriental cults--among them that of Mithra, Persian god of light--which had entered the land in the wake of Illyria's growing interaction with eastern regions of the empire. For a long time it also had to compete with gods worshiped by Illyrian pagans. The steady growth of the Christian community in Dyrrhachium (the Roman name for Epidamnus) led to the creation there of a bishopric in AD 58. Later, episcopal seats were established in Apollonia, Buthrotum (modern Butrint), and Scodra (modern Shkodr'). By the time the empire began to decline, the Illyrians, profiting from a long tradition of martial habits and skills, had acquired great influence in the Roman military hierarchy. Indeed, several of them went on from there to become emperors. From the mid-3rd to the mid-4th century AD the reins of the empire were almost continuously in the hands of emperors of Illyrian origin: Gaius Decius, Claudius Gothicus, Aurelian, Probus, Diocletian, and Constantine the Great. information on albania
Kosova or Kosovo, whatever, deserves independence! Any other solution is simply not viable.
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