Serbia's interest “cannot be defended at barricades”
Source: TanjugBELGRADE -- Serbian President Boris Tadić stated on Wednesday that Serbian national interests in Kosovo could not be defended at the barricades.
He added that a solution needed to be found by means of dialogue and negotiations about systemic resolution of problems in northern Kosovo.
“When it comes to northern Kosovo and Kosovo and Metohija as a whole, we are facing a systemic problem,” Tadić stated after a meeting with Republic of Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik in Banja Luka, adding that this was also pointed out by Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and that EU officials were talking about it now.
“This issue cannot be pushed under the carpet, it needs to be solved,” the Serbian president noted.
He warned that any potential victim on the barricades would drastically reduce Serbia's potential for defending its legitimate national interests.
Tadić explained that the northern Kosovo barricades might have had a purpose back in July, when Priština launched its unilateral action.
Replying to remarks by certain political circles in Serbia who claim that he himself initiated the construction of the barricades, Tadić said that this was not true because he backed peaceful protests but he did not at any time even hint that he supported any use of force.
He said that leaders of northern Kosovo Serbs must not hide behind citizens and added that they should take responsibility for de-escalation of the situation, while KFOR must not get involved in pointless unilateral attempts of roadblock removal because new ones would be promptly put up.
“Serb leaders need to show responsibility and neither they nor anyone else must hide behind others,” Tadić said and added that the leaders of Kosovo Serbs had to adopt the decisions citizens choose because that was what democracy was for. He said that he voiced a call to citizens and their political leaders and took the responsibility for that himself.
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