Post by Fender on Feb 12, 2008 17:48:17 GMT -5
Serbia prepares to reject, in advance, Kosovo declaration for statehood
ReutersPublished: February 12, 2008
BELGRADE: Serbia intends to annul Kosovo's proclamation of independence in advance, asserting that it would be an illegal act by "terrorists" to set up a fictitious state, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said Tuesday.
The annulment would be the centerpiece of a "Thursday of rejection" organized by the Serbian government before Kosovo's probable declaration of independence Sunday.
"We have made a decision that the Serbian government will on Thursday, in advance, annul all acts that are against the law that concern a unilateral proclamation of the independence of this fictitious state on Serbian territory," Kostunica said. "We shall not allow such a creation to exist for a minute. It has to be legally annulled the moment it is illegally proclaimed by a leadership of convicted terrorists."
Kostunica's statement was issued as Serbia's deeply divided coalition government tried to close ranks before the loss of its southern province.
The National Security Council was meeting to discuss secret "action plans" by Serbian ministries to counter the independence declaration.
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An official in the Foreign Ministry, who demanded anonymity said: "The action plan for our ministry does not include radical steps such as cutting diplomatic ties with the countries that recognize Kosovo."
The Defense Ministry ruled out military intervention and the Energy Ministry said electricity supplies to Kosovo would not be cut off. But there were reports in Kosovo that Belgrade planned to disrupt telephone and Internet service.
Leaders of the breakaway province's 90 percent ethnic Albanian majority are scheduled to proclaim unilateral independence Sunday. Recognition by the United States was expected Monday, Serbian political officials said.
The majority of the European Union's 27 countries also plan to recognize the new state. Their foreign ministers meet Monday to discuss that matter and other issues.
But Serbia's ally Russia will denounce the declaration as illegal.
Serbia has asked for a United Nations Security Council meeting Thursday to coincide with its formal rejection of independence, and Russian officials said they intended to support the request.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said in Geneva on Tuesday that a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo would violate international law and damage security in Europe.
He asserted that the United States and European countries did not understand the consequences of independence for Kosovo. "It would undermine the basics of security in Europe, it would undermine the basics of the United Nations charter," Lavrov said.
He said Western countries were dealing with the issue in a "haphazard" way.
The Kosovo newspaper Koha Ditore reported that Belgrade would order Kosovo's Serbs to resign from the Kosovo police force and end all cooperation in education, health care and social institutions.
Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo number two million. There are about 120,000 Serbs, roughly half of whom live in isolated enclaves and half in a northern redoubt around the city of Mitrovica, which Serbia may move to partition.
A leader of Kosovo's Serbian minority, Oliver Ivanovic, said: "Serbia's top state officials will be responsible if Serbs leave their homes in Kosovo and head to Serbia after the declaration of Kosovo's independence."
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ReutersPublished: February 12, 2008
BELGRADE: Serbia intends to annul Kosovo's proclamation of independence in advance, asserting that it would be an illegal act by "terrorists" to set up a fictitious state, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said Tuesday.
The annulment would be the centerpiece of a "Thursday of rejection" organized by the Serbian government before Kosovo's probable declaration of independence Sunday.
"We have made a decision that the Serbian government will on Thursday, in advance, annul all acts that are against the law that concern a unilateral proclamation of the independence of this fictitious state on Serbian territory," Kostunica said. "We shall not allow such a creation to exist for a minute. It has to be legally annulled the moment it is illegally proclaimed by a leadership of convicted terrorists."
Kostunica's statement was issued as Serbia's deeply divided coalition government tried to close ranks before the loss of its southern province.
The National Security Council was meeting to discuss secret "action plans" by Serbian ministries to counter the independence declaration.
Today in Europe
Ukraine and Russia end dispute over gasDanish police say arrests foiled plot to kill Muhammad cartoonistU.S. envoys instructed to link 9/11 trials to Nuremberg
An official in the Foreign Ministry, who demanded anonymity said: "The action plan for our ministry does not include radical steps such as cutting diplomatic ties with the countries that recognize Kosovo."
The Defense Ministry ruled out military intervention and the Energy Ministry said electricity supplies to Kosovo would not be cut off. But there were reports in Kosovo that Belgrade planned to disrupt telephone and Internet service.
Leaders of the breakaway province's 90 percent ethnic Albanian majority are scheduled to proclaim unilateral independence Sunday. Recognition by the United States was expected Monday, Serbian political officials said.
The majority of the European Union's 27 countries also plan to recognize the new state. Their foreign ministers meet Monday to discuss that matter and other issues.
But Serbia's ally Russia will denounce the declaration as illegal.
Serbia has asked for a United Nations Security Council meeting Thursday to coincide with its formal rejection of independence, and Russian officials said they intended to support the request.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said in Geneva on Tuesday that a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo would violate international law and damage security in Europe.
He asserted that the United States and European countries did not understand the consequences of independence for Kosovo. "It would undermine the basics of security in Europe, it would undermine the basics of the United Nations charter," Lavrov said.
He said Western countries were dealing with the issue in a "haphazard" way.
The Kosovo newspaper Koha Ditore reported that Belgrade would order Kosovo's Serbs to resign from the Kosovo police force and end all cooperation in education, health care and social institutions.
Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo number two million. There are about 120,000 Serbs, roughly half of whom live in isolated enclaves and half in a northern redoubt around the city of Mitrovica, which Serbia may move to partition.
A leader of Kosovo's Serbian minority, Oliver Ivanovic, said: "Serbia's top state officials will be responsible if Serbs leave their homes in Kosovo and head to Serbia after the declaration of Kosovo's independence."
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