SERBIA-MONTENEGRO FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS NO
BORDER CHANGE WITH ALBANIA
SRNA - October 2, 2004
Belgrade, 2 October: Serbia-Montenegro (SCG) Foreign Affairs Minister Vuk
Draskovic said today in Belgrade that the state border between SCG and Albania
cannot be changed and that it can only become virtually invisible, according to
European standards.
"Any kind of talks on the final status of Kosovo have to acknowledge this fact
as a starting point, because SCG will never surrender its sovereignty there, and
with this there is no independence for Kosovo," Draskovic emphasized, opening
the international round table: "Kosovo-Metohija - five years later".
Commenting on the results of the international community's five year sojourn in
Kosovo-Metohija, Draskovic said "the less said, the better, as the facts speak
for themselves".
He recalled that as soon as the international community had arrived in Kosovo-Metohija
it secured the return of (ethnic) Albanian refugees and rebuilt their homes.
Draskovic added that, to date, more than 150 church buildings and 40,000 Serb
homes have been destroyed, 2,500 Serbs have been either killed or kidnapped, and
more than 200,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians have, under pressure, left
Kosovo-Metohija.
He said that the violence against Serbs on 17 and 18 March (2004) could not have
occurred spontaneously, but was well organized and resembled "the night of the
long knives".
Draskovic added that the problems in Kosovo-Metohija could be resolved by the
international community guaranteeing rights for all citizens who live there and
for power to be decentralized according to the European model.
He pointed out that it was an obligation to return property to all Serbs "so
they can do what they want with it".
"I belong to the minority that calls for Serbs to take part in the 23 October
elections in Kosovo-Metohija, although this is not my job, just as it is not the
church's job. This is a matter for Serbia's president and prime minister, but
they are against participation. If one of them calls for participation, then I
will naturally support it," Draskovic said.
Source: SRNA news agency, Bijeljina, in
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 0839 gmt 2 Oct 04
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