Belgrade: Kosovo will not be independent

The Serbian Prime Minister declared today that Belgrade rejects the resolution on the statute of Kosovo presented by the United States of America CS of the UNO. "Kosovo will not gain independence" declares Kostunica.

Photo: Belgrade: Kosovo will not be independent

Vojislav Kostunica, Prime Minister of Serbia, declared today in Belgrade that his country will never accept any proposal that aims at the independence of Kosovo and rejected the resolution presented by Washington to the CS of the UNO in that sense, declaring "Kosovo will not gain independence and no official of the U.S.A. making statements in favor of the independence of Kosovo can obviate that fact".

Kostunica reminded the international community that according to the UN Charter and according to the Constitution of Serbia, Kosovo is, and will remain, an integral part of his country.

The United States, France and United Kingdom are in favor of giving four months to Belgrade and Pristina to resolve the question before attributing independence to the Province of Kosovo, in Serbia. However Russia has threatened to use its right of veto against any proposal that does not satisfy the interests of both Belgrade and of Pristina and defends that any concession of independence to Kosovo would constitute a violation of the territorial integrity of Serbia, creating a precedent for independence movements in other regions.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY

BYELO PRAVDA Ru