In US, Serbian foreign minister proposes outline for new, unlimited talks on Kosovo

In US, Serbian foreign minister proposes outline for new, unlimited talks on Kosovo

2007-07-28 02:21:33 -

WASHINGTON
(AP) - Serbia's foreign minister is proposing an eight-point outline
for new negotiations on Kosovo that would be unlimited in time and
without independence for the Serbian province as the predetermined
outcome.

That would shield them from the flaws that spoiled U.N.-sponsored
consultations, which offered eventual independence to Kosovo, Foreign
Minister Vuc Jeremic said. Serbia and its ally Russia have rejected the outcome, and the United States and Europe have agreed to another 120 days of discussion.

New deliberations under the Jeremic's eight points could guarantee peace for the entire Balkan region, he said.

One of the eight points is «the broadest possible self-governance for
the province's Albanians,» with administration of its domestic affairs
«totally unimpeded by Belgrade.» Ethnic Albanians vastly outnumber the
province's ethnic Serbs.

Jeremic proposed the formula in a talk at the National Press Club on Friday before meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

He spoke of the dedication to democracy of Serbia, «burdened by the
legacy of being both a post-communist and a post-conflict society,» and
its advances toward acceptance by Europe and the trans-Atlantic
alliance, NATO.

«Yet there is one thing that can make it all go away; one thing that
can reverse the tremendous progress that has been made,» he said. «The
gains we as a country have made will likely be reversed if the
imposition of the independence of Kosovo takes place.

Rice has told Albanian Kosovar emissaries she plans to recognize the
province's independence shortly after completion of the 120 days'
negotiations.

Replying to questions after his speech, Jeremic said his main reason
for coming to Washington was to «re-establish high-level dialogue
between our governments. We have not been talking with each other very
much lately.

Briefly, these are the «precepts» that Jeremic said are necessary to
ensure stability in the Balkans, historically one of the world's most
unstable and violent regions

_Consolidation of democracy in Serbia, «the pivot country in the
region.» That would require avoiding «a potentially fatal setback» of
imposed independence in Kosovo.

_Speeded-up integration of the Western Balkans into Europe and the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans.

_Enforcement of internationally recognized borders and the respect of the sovereign equality of states.

_The broadest possible self-governance for Kosovo's Albanians, with
internationally guaranteed administration of domestic affairs «totally
unimpeded by Belgrade.

_The international guarantee of human and minority rights for all
residents of Kosovo, with conditions created to allow the return to the
province of more than 200,000 people displaced by violence, mainly
ethnic Serbs.

_Comprehensive efforts at reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians.

_An international guarantee to safeguard
Kosovo's cultural and religious heritage, some of which is on the
UNESCO World Heritage list. Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority is
Muslim, but the province has many sites important to Serbia's Orthodox
Christian majority.

_An unconditional commitment to a lasting and secure peace.

The last item, Jeremic said, «underpins the previous seven. ... We need to commit to peace before we can make peace.

Otherwise, he said, the danger exists that Serbia could lead the rest
of the Western Balkans back into «the Balkan nightmare of the 1990s.

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