Kosovo: Serbia sees an uphill fight after court ruling
Belgrade, 26 July (AKI) - Serbian foreign minister Vuk Jeremic said on Monday that 55 more countries were ready to recognize the independence of Kosovo, proclaimed two years ago, and vowed to continue diplomatic battle to preserve Serbia’s territorial integrity. Addressing the parliament, Jeremic said Serbia’s position in the fight for Kosovo has worsened after last week’s ruling by the International Court of Justice that Kosovo declaration of independence wasn’t contrary to international law. “We must be fully aware that the situation in which Serbia finds itself today is much worse than before ICJ ruling,” Jeremic told parliament. Apart from 69 countries which have recognized Kosovo, including the United States and 22 EU members, 55 more countries were under strong pressure by western powers to do so, he added. Jeremic said Serbian president Boris Tadic was sending special emissaries to 55 countries to lobby against Kosovo recognition and called for national unity in the uphill diplomatic battle which will resume in September in the United Nations General Assembly. Jeremic, Tadic and prime minister Mirko Cvetkovic came to parliament to ask for support to Belgrade’s initiative in the General Assembly to pass a resolution against Kosovo independence and calling for new negotiations on the Kosovo status. “We are sending today a message to the world that we are unified in the continuation of policy which centres on the preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country in a peaceful, diplomatic and dignified way,” Jeremic said. But judging by parliamentary debate, the government was unlikely to get anything more than a 126 vote simple majority in the 250 seat parliament. Opposition leaders said the government policy towards Kosovo was a “total failure” and the new initiative in General Assembly was another “suicidal act” in which they won’t participate. Several opposition leaders called for the resignation of Tadic, Jeremic and the entire government, because they haven’t consulted the parliament on Kosovo policies for the past two years and made too many concessions to western powers, which yielded no results http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.1.738292563 _______________________________________________ News mailing list News@antic.org http://lists.antic.org/mailman/listinfo/news
