[Sreekar]

India to support Serbia's stand on Kosovo in UN
(source:TimesofIndia.com)

India has pledged support to Serbia in the UN General Assembly next month over the issue of Kosovo's independence.

In an interview to TOI, visiting Serbian foreign minister Vuk Jeremic said India has promised to vote in favour of Serbia which is seeking UNGA's approval to refer Kosovo's "illegal" independence to the International Court of Justice at Hague.

Kosovo had unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February. Out of the 192 UN nations, only 47, including the US, have recognised Kosovo's independence, but Russia, China and India have opposed it.

The UN general committee had earlier accepted Serbia's request but the final outcome is subject to a vote by all UN nations in UNGA.

"India like other nations has a single vote but this single vote carries a lot of weight. I met foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee and our position on the issue has been received here with deep understanding. Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence is an ethnically motivated attempt to secede in defiance of international law," said Jeremic, who is the first foreign minister of Serbia to visit India.

Kosovo's independence has polarised the world with many believing that the Russia-Georgia war too is a fallout of the happenings in Kosovo.

Serbia's ally Russia recognised the independence of two of Georgia's republics apparently in retaliation to the US recognition of Kosovo's independence.

"We have only used peaceful and legal means to deal with Kosovo. We have neither used force nor imposed economic sanctions. Some of the countries are even against our going to the UN and this we believe is an attempt to deny our fundamental right to ask questions," said Jeremic.

"Most of the countries are supporting us and we believe that if the matter goes to the International Court of Justice, it would freeze the number of nations recognising Kosovo. We have taken a lot of legal advice before undertaking this and believe that Kosovo will have only two options after the court gives its verdict — either be completely isolated or come to the table and discuss it with us," added Jeremic.

Referring to India's stand on J&K, Jeremic said that Serbia fully backed India's territorial integrity and there could be no compromise on that. "We fully back India on this. International borders have to be respected. Even for Kosovo, people said it's a special case but who is going to decide that. We had said earlier that this action by Kosovo can destabilise the world, but people ignored us. Nobody has the right to unilaterally declare independence and seek exemption from international law," said Jeremic.

He added that the visit to India even otherwise had been very fruitful. "Serbia shares excellent ties with India and during my visit here, we have only added more depth to the relationship. We have had talks on cooperation in automobiles, agriculture, technology, culture and education and this has been a very successful visit," Jeremic said.

On the delay in Serbia's integration into EU, Jeremic said some countries still doubted Serbia's intentions especially in dealing with those guilty of war crimes. "We have handed over some of those accused but some countries are still apprehensive. However, integration into EU is a strategic priority and we are going to achieve it," he added.

-Thanks much,
Sreekar
BanChildLabour

[Sreekar]

Montenegro, Macedonia recognize Kosovo
(source:TimesofIndia.com)

Serbia's neighbors Montenegro and Macedonia recognized Kosovo last week (oct 9th) in a blow to Belgrade's efforts to counter the secession of its former province.

On October 8th 2008, the UN General Assembly supported Serbia's initiative to seek an International Court of Justice opinion on the legality of the independence declaration made by Kosovo in February and recognized by more than 40, mostly Western states.

Serbia had hoped that it would stop the further recognition of its former province. Montenegro and Macedonia, the only two former Yugoslav republics that ended their union with Serbia peacefully, recognized Kosovo on Thursday and issued a joint statement.
"The decision to recognize Kosovo is the result of thorough political assessment," said the statement issued in Skopje following a government session. "We hope it will be understood by Belgrade," Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki told journalists after the Macedonian government formally announced the decision.

"We hope that our relations with Serbia will remain friendly," Montenegro Foreign Minister Milan Rocen said in Montenegro's capital, Podgorica. Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said that in response to the move, his government would ask Montenegro's ambassador to leave the country. "We consider this to be an adequate response," he told the state news agency Tanjug.

Pro-Serb parties in Montenegro have threatened to protest if the government made what Jeremic said would be "a knife stabbed in Serbia's back." "They (Montenegro and Macedonia) are being blackmailed by certain states which threaten to make problems for their European integration," Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Konuzin said.

The US State Department welcomed the decision by Montenegro and Macedonia and said it looked forward to "additional recognitions in the coming months." "The growing number of recognitions is an affirmation of Kosovo's progress in establishing a stable, multiethnic, democratic society that seeks normal political and trade relations with its neighbors and the greater international community," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement.

The Macedonian government has been under pressure for months from its ethnic Albanian minority, which makes up a third of its 2 million residents, to recognize its northern neighbor. Serbia lost control of Kosovo in 1999 after NATO bombed the country to stop the killing of civilians in a two-year counterinsurgency war.

Serbia recalled ambassadors from all countries that recognized Kosovo's Feb. 17 declaration of independence, but decided on Thursday to reinstate ambassadors to all countries, including the United States.

The ambassadors were reinstated in the European Union
member states in July after a pro-Western government took over.

-Thanks much,
Sreekar
BanChildLabour