Belgrade, March 18, 2011 (Tanjug) – Serbian president Boris Tadic has said that the solution to the historical conflict between Serbs and Albanians must not be such that one side wins everything while the other loses everything, and it definitely can not be a scenario in which Serbia will recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo.
Tadic told yesterday Pristina-based TV station Klan Kosova that he hoped the introductory phase of the ongoing talks between Belgrade and Pristina, that is finding solutions with regard to some technical issues, would be followed by a search for that essential solution to the underlying conflict.
“Historical agreement between Serbs and Albanians has to be legitimized by acceptance from both sides. Representatives of the people cannot accept an agreement rejected by the people themselves. However, those representatives are allowed to bravely step forward with ideas that might not be appealing to the whole people, but which could be accepted eventually through a referendum or people voting”, the president argued.
Tadic refused to give any actual suggestions, explaining that it would not be wise at the moment. He added that there were models that had already been implemented, as well the possibility of two sides coming up with a new type of solution.
“It is not wise or purposeful right now to give actual proposals for a political solution, because we would not reach that solution then, and I think that it is wiser now to address technical issues and avoid politics”, Tadic noted, claiming he was prepared to take responsibility and offer possible solutions, but only once the time was right.
The president stressed that, in a search for a solution to the Kosovo problem, he cannot give up on protecting the interest of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, who do not wish to be integrated into the unilaterally declared state of Kosovo.
“I cannot search for a practical solution without taking into account the existing reality. Because if I denied the opinion of Serbs in Kosovo I would be acting like Milošević who, before the conflict broke out, denied the opinion of Albanians, who didn't want to live under Serbia's sovereign roof even before the conflict“, he poited out.
When asked why he did not apologize to Kosovo Albanians for the crimes that had been committed against them during Milošević's rule, Tadić said that apologies must be preceded by a confrontation with atrocities on both sides.
“There are serious investigations into the crimes on both sides. Words of apology should be a part of a political process and should have a purpose. That purpose is reconciliation. We will come to those words in the end but in the meantime it is necessary to have the investigation about everything that happened and to have court proceedings that will lead us into a legal status”, Tadic stressed.
Remainding that those in power had always used force during the century-long conflict between Serbs and Albanians, Tadic bespoke that the continuity of violence needed to end.
“I believe that such policy needs to disappear instantly and that all crimes need to be individual and that everybody who committed crimes needs to be convicted. It is of crucial importance that all crimes are investigated and not only those of one side and not only crimes of one kind of politicians or participants in those events, so that we can reconcile and enable people to have a better life“, Tadic stressed.
The Serbian president concluded that EU integration was a requirement needed to achieve long-term peace and reconciliation in the Balkans, but it was “no cure-all”, and that Belgrade and Pristina needed to settle some of their problems on their own.
