Belgrade's Kosovo platform is secret

1 December 2010 | 11:24 | Source: Večernje novosti

BELGRADE -- The Serbian government is not planning on revealing its platform for the talks with Priština, a Belgrade daily is reporting. The Serbian parliament (Beta) Even those members of Serbia's parliament who have requested to see the document will not be able to do so, Večernje Novosti writes today. But the government sources are saying that the secret platform for the talks with Kosovo's Albanians is based on the country's Constitution. According to this report, the document is also based on the official position that Serbia will not recognize the unilateral declaration of independence made by the province's Albanians in February 2008. Oliver Ivanović of the Ministry for Kosovo stated that there was "no need for parliament to have its say on the platform", as it was "completely in line with all the previous decision of the highest lawmaking body". According to Ivanović, the negotiating team, led by MFA Political Director Borko Stefanović, will "coordinate its moves with President Boris Tadić". Government sources are also saying that the negotiating platform is still work in progress, and that its content will be known "only to government ministers". Government's Media Office chief Milivoje Mihailović said this situation was not unlike when the foreign minister "takes a trip to China, for example, to talk to officials there". "The strategy of the talks is a secret until their meeting has ended. It would be completely nonsensical for the state to reveal in advance its moves." But the opposition rejected the need for secrecy, and called on the Cvetković government to tell parliament about its strategy for the Kosovo talks. "The ruling coalition does not have the capacity to decide on the Kosovo-Metohija negotiations on its own. It's only right to hear the opinion of all parties, and to have Serbia act united," said NS party leader Velimir Ilić. Borislav Pelević of the Serb Progressives (SNS), said it was unclear why an MFA official was appointed to head the team, considering that Kosovo is an internal Serbian issue, and, "why the government no longer mentions talks on the status (of Kosovo)." "Does that mean the state is preparing to recognize an independent Kosovo," wondered Pelević. But the ruling coalition MPs said they had full confidence that the government was telling the truth when it said its platform for the talks was based on the country's Constitution.