"If they ask for Kosovo — we'll say no to EU"

Source: B92, Večernje novosti

BELGRADE -- If Serbia were to officially face the condition of "either EU or Kosovo", the country would give up on its intention to join the EU, says Tomislav Nikolić.

Tomislav Nikolić (Tanjug, file)

"This is what I was also saying during the (election) campaign," the Serbian president noted in his interview for Belgrade's Večernje Novosti daily.
"It's been 11 years that we've been watching every wish of the (ethnic) Albanians getting fulfilled. This will no longer be so," he added.

However, said Nikolić - "so far nobody has officially asked for a recognition of Kosovo and Metohija", and the country was "being arranged according to European standards":

"If we are stable and meeting the conditions, Europe cannot be unstable and constantly make new ones. We are asking only to be given conditions like other countries had been given, no more, no less."

Asked why Kosovo's Albanians should negotiate with Serbia if they and key western countries consider Kosovo to be independent, Nikolić replied:

"For this reason a direct question should be taken to the negotiations: can we count on talks and EU membership, if we disagree with independence of Kosovo and Metohija."

He added that he "took seriously" the position of Germany, a country he described as "the pillar of Europe".

Meanwhile, a meeting will be held on Friday in Belgrade where top state officials will discuss a platform for Kosovo.

"We will soon have to come up with a joint position. We will suggest several varieties. We will find the right formulation to take before the world. The goal is to find a solution that is not independence, and by and large reflects the essential autonomy guaranteed (to Kosovo) with (UNSC) Resolution 1244. The platform's accompanying documents will be our Constitution, the results of all high representatives in Kosovo and Metohija, an overview of what has been implemented of Resolution 1244, and what has not been implemented. That text will be presented to the political and intellectual elites, the Church..."

Asked whether the ruling SNS party leader and First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vučić was "going after" top SPS party officials, Nikolić said his close associate "took on the most difficult of jobs, because he is going after crime":

"How should he know who he'll go after when he receives a case? The Socialists (SPS) could not have made this much damage, while any of them who was involved in crime will have to answer for that. I'm sure he does not wish to persecute anyone."

The president also said that the fight against crime and corruption was "sincere", and that "everyone could see this", including the police and the prosecution, "who used to trade accusations".

Nikolić said he asked officials of both these institutions to come to him personally if they thought some case was going to be ignored because it targeted "the big fish".

"We must show the poor who is to blame for their poverty," he explained.