August – To abandon what some in the West call the parallel institutions, and which for us constitute democratically elected bodies established following the elections, would be to jeopardize survival of the Serb community in Kosovo. This requirement simply cannot be accepted - Goran Bogdanovic, Minister for Kosovo and Metohija told our daily.
It is It is owing to the state institutions of Serbia, said Minister Bogdanovic, that our population has managed to survive in Kosovo and Metohija in the first place:
- In places where there were no institutions, unfortunately, there are no more Serbs left. It’s the best indicator of how valuable our institutions in Kosovo are to Serbs and their continued survival in the province.
Would giving up institutions also mean giving up the politics of preserving Kosovo within Serbia?
Exactly. If we do this, the dialogue with Pristina would be rendered pointless. What would we then be negotiating? That would literally mean sending the citizens a message that the state has given up Kosovo and Serbs who live down there. Where would these people get their medical treatment, where would they get an education, who would deal with their utility problems..?
But those Western countries which have recognized Kosovo and Metohija insist that Pristina must establish its legal system throughout the territory...
We already have a very poor experience with the Pristina institutions. The newly established municipalities south of the Ibar offer a good example. None of them handles everyday problems of the Serbs. Not one! Were it otherwise, we would not need to talk about electricity, telecommunications...
How unacceptable for the state is to abandon the institutions and why would it mean that Serbia indirectly recognizes Kosovo's independence?
Yes, it could be regarded as indirect recognition by Belgrade. And none of us has the right to act in breach of the Constitution and laws, both binding us to behave in accordance with our position that Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia. Belgrade must treat Kosovo the same way as it does the rest of the country.
Were you surprised by the requests made by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Belgrade, calling for "normalization of relations with Kosovo"?
No. Abolition of institutions has been among topics in the past few years and such messages often come from countries that have recognized Kosovo. What was surprising was the harshness of what was said but I still do not see it as new demands and ultimatums.
And that is precisely how many have interpreted it - as an ultimatum to continuation of our European integrations, i.e. as a condition for obtaining the candidate status and the date to launch negotiations, all by the end of the current year?
As to the first two demands – continuation of the dialogue with Pristina and enabling the operation of EULEX – they are knocking on open door, there is no need to warn us as to these. But the third one, the abolition of the institutions, is absolutely unacceptable.
Can we find ourselves in a situation where, faced with blackmail, we would be forced to rethink the policy ‘both Kosovo and the EU’?
Things should not be viewed so tragically nor should any fatalistic acts be undertaken. Our state and national politics have red lines which we cannot cross. But the important thing is that Serbia's European orientation remains our strategic goal. I hope the EU shares the same view.
Do you fear that come December Germany might block the process of deciding on our next step towards the EU?
In my opinion we will still get the status of the candidate country because we completed most of the work. We still have to adopt several important laws, which I think would be completed by the end of September. And as to the date to open negotiations, I am not so optimistic.
Can Merkel’s sharp statements be linked to the latest developments in the north of the province? Did Pristina in fact have the go ahead from the international community for the violent seizure of administrative crossings - even though officials from the most powerful EU countries claim otherwise?
From the day one it was clear that everything had been coordinated with the international community. Albanians never make a single step without the consent of the international community. Of this I am convinced.
Is there a danger of new escalations in the north?
Even after signing the agreement with KFOR, we continue to underline that there is a threat to peace and possibility of new unilateral moves by Pristina. Great challenges, provocations are yet ahead of us in the next few months. Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are firmly determined to defend their legitimate interests, to prevent the state of Kosovo to grow roots in the north.
Dialogue must continue
How is it possible to continue the dialogue with Pristina in such an atmosphere?
Dialogue remains indispensable for finding the right solution. Serbia is ready to negotiate in order to reach compromises. The dialogue must not stop.
D. Milinkovic