Serbia urged OSCE to condemn Kosovo independence

PanARMENIAN.Net - Serbia's foreign minister Vuk Jeremic urged members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation to condemn Kosovo's declaration of independence and vowed Tuesday that the nascent nation would remain a part of Serbia.



"We call on this body to condemn the unilateral and illegal declaration of independence by the authorities in Pristina from the Republic of Serbia by reaffirming the OSCE's basic principles and values," he said.



Jeremic also appeared to lash out at countries who choose to recognize Kosovo. "History will judge those who have chosen to trample the bedrock of the international system, and on the principles upon which security and cooperation in Europe have been established," he said.



By declaring independence unilaterally, Kosovo contravened international agreements, including the UN Charter, Jeremic said. "If this violation of the very nature of the international system is not wrong, then nothing is wrong," he said, acknowledging that some countries had chosen to ignore "this universal truth."



He had said Monday that Serbia would seek to block Kosovo from gaining diplomatic recognition and membership to international organizations, including the OSCE. Since the organization operates by consensus, it takes just one country to block such a move.



"As such, we must act on the courage of our convictions, condemn the unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovo Albanians and make sure that Kosovo is not granted a seat at the OSCE table," Jeremic said.



Jeremic said Serbia is ready - "at any time, in any place, in any manner" - to engage in talks with Pristina to agree on a mutually acceptable solution for Kosovo's future status. "But we cannot give them sovereignty. ... For us, Kosovo is the crucible of our identity, it is the essential link between our past and our future," he said.



Kosovo's declaration of independence on Sunday came after two years of fruitless talks between Serbian and ethnic Albanian leaders. "The Republic of Serbia did not consent, has not consented, will not consent. For Kosovo and Metohija shall remain part of Serbia forever," Jeremic told the OSCE.



Speaking to reporters later, Jeremic added that any kind of compensation offer for the loss of Kosovo was nothing but an "extremely indecent proposal." "There's absolutely no way that Serbia would be prepared to exchange Kosovo for anything," including EU membership, Jeremic said.



Serbia considers Kosovo its historic and religious heartland. While it is willing to agree to wide autonomy for Kosovo, it refuses to give it up entirely.



Jeremic warned that countries or organizations that recognize Kosovo would have to face the consequences. "We cannot imagine continuing normal relations with those entities - countries or organizations - that choose to unilaterally trample our sovereignty, our territorial integrity ... our freedom, our pride, our democracy," he said.



Jeremic also said Serbia had no choice but to start downgrading relations with those who choose to unilaterally recognize Kosovo.



"We're not blindly moving forward with punitive measures ... We're taking into account our resources, our weight, and the alliances and the support and partnerships that we have," Jeremic said, The Associated Press reports.