FPO: Serbia rightfully rejected ultimatum

Source: Tanjug

VIENNA -- After Serbia rightfully rejected the EU plan for Kosovo, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton is facing "political failure".

This is according to Andreas Melzer, a member of the European Parliament from the Austrian Freedom Party.
In his opinion, this development is not surprising considering the fact the EU tried to make Serbs give up their legitimate interests by using ultimatums.

Brussels should have taken into account the fact Kosovo is the cradle of the Serbian nation and holds special significance for Serbia, believes Melzer.

"There is a reason Kosovo is mentioned in the Serbian Constitution as an inseparable part of Serbia. What country would voluntarily give up a part of its territory? What Ashton did is the height of political dilettantism," said the Austrian politician.

He urged the EU to finally take into account the legitimate interests of Serbia rather than just playing protector to Kosovo.

This means the Serbs in Kosovo must be fully protected and, if they have to live under Albanian sovereignty, they should at least enjoy the greatest possible autonomy, said Melzer.

He also noted that the Serb people live in several different countries.

"If Brussels wants to give guidelines for the integration of the Western Balkans, then it needs to take this fact into consideration. This is why cantonal organization is necessary for the Serbs in Bosnia or Kosovo, which means not only maximum autonomy, but also open borders to their homeland of Serbia," he added.

On Monday the Serbian government unanimously decided to demand an urgent resumption of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Priština.

Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said the government cannot accept the principles that have been verbally conveyed to its negotiating team as they do not guarantee full security, survival and protection of human rights of the Serb people living in Kosovo.