Serbia is not going to refuse from Kosovo even in exchange for EU membership

PanARMENIAN.Net - Official Belgrade will not agree on Kosovo and Metohija's independence in exchange for membership in the European Union, Serbia's Ambassador to Russia Stanimir Vukićević stated. "I can assure that there will be no bargaining in this issue: Serbia's membership in the EU will not be paid by the price of Kosovo, although Belgrade negotiates with Brussels on integrating the united Europe. But during talks we constantly stress that EU membership and the issue of Kosovo's status are quite other things. Those two processes do not depend on each other," the Serbian Ambassador stated in Moscow.



He said the decision on the status of Kosovo must be found basing on agreements and compromises in the framework of the UN Security Council. At the same time Vukićević thinks that Kosovo is an unstable region, which needs UN administrative and military mission for successful development of its institutes and power bodies. "We are ready to give Kosovo the right to independently conclude treaties with the World Bank and IMF in order to take credits for improving the economic situation of the province," the Ambassador said, RIA "Novosti" reports.



Talks between Belgrade and Prishtina on the final status of the province in Vienna during 2006 under international mediation did not bring any agreements. In the result no coordinated resolution on Kosovo was introduced in the UN Security Council.



The issue of working out a final status for Kosovo was handed over to the Contact Group, where the United States, EU and Russia are included. The Group must prepare a new round of direct talks between Belgrade and Prishtina. Representatives of the Contact Group are expected to pay a visit to Belgrade and Prishtina at the end of this week.