Kosovo Serbs: Platform protects our interests

Source: B92, Beta, Tanjug

BELGRADE -- Kosovo Serbs have supported the Serbian president government and the president and said that a draft platform for Kosovo protects their interests and rights.

(Beta)

“Kosovo and Metohija Serbs have given their principled support to the Serbian president and government in institutionalization of protection of rights of Serbs and Serbia and further Belgrade-Priština negotiations,” reads a release of Kosovo Serb representatives.
They met with President Tomislav Nikolić on Friday and received the draft platform for Kosovo.

They noted after the meeting that the document “offers a solution for key issues and does not contain a possibility of partition of Kosovo”.

The Kosovo Serb representatives expressed their gratitude, adding that nobody had consulted them regarding their own fate until now.

According to them, Nikolić said that a condition of the survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo was their unity and joint stance on principles presented in the platform.

“Until now, Belgrade has been resolving the problems of (ethnic) Albanians in the southern province, while problems were created for Serbs,” Nikolić noted.

It is added in the release that the president had voiced a wish that Serbs in Kosovo would live together and fight for their survival together, without divisions.

He called on representatives of the Serbs in Kosovo to arrive at joint conclusions about the platform and make possible suggestions, warning that there is not much time.

Kosovo Polje Mayor Stevica Lazić stated that Serbs were mostly satisfied with the platform because it covers what they expected it to cover and what guarantees their survival in Kosovo.

He said that their talks with the president primarily covered the problems they are facing, and added that more details would be released after analyses and discussions in their municipalities.

Dečani municipal coordinator Snežana Paunović told reporters that Serbs in Kosovo had faith in the draft platform but that they would voice their opinions in their local institutions.

“I am not brave enough to comment something I only just saw two hours ago,” she noted after the meeting.

Zvečan Mayor Dragiša Milović said that the state platform was a good base for the talks with the Priština authorities and announced that a joint session of Serb municipalities from northern Kosovo would be held soon.

Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Krstimir Pantić told B92 that Nikolić had received “an absolute support” from the Kosovo Serb representatives regarding the platform.

“The most important thing for us is that the platform respects (UN Security Council) Resolution 1244 and that it respects the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia. The most important thing for us is that autonomy of the Serb municipalities does not represent autonomy within the so-called Republic of Kosovo but within the Republic of Serbia and autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija,” he stressed.

Pantić added that Kosovo Serbs were therefore grateful to the president.

Štrpce Mayor Zvonko Mihajlović said that they did not have much time to study the platform but that they had insisted at the meeting that conditions were fulfilled for the return of Serbs, strengthening of the Serbian institutions, suspension of privatization done by Kosovo interim organs and sale of privately-owned Serb property.