The Director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Đurić, claims that recognition of the independence of Kosovo is in no way an option for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and that the result of the talks should be normalization of relations between institutions to the extent that no one has to fear for his or her future.
“It is clear that we disagree over the status, and that we won’t agree; however that doesn’t mean that we won’t cooperate, because we are geographically, politically and historically inclined to find mutual solutions to certain problems. I believe that our side, and Pristina too, are sufficiently developed in political and civil terms to do that,” Đurić said to Pristina-based daily Koha ditore.
He said that such a solution between the two sides would positively influence general relations between people, and that people could live in peace without having to think about what their neighbors of this or that nationality could eventually do. When asked about what would happen if the recognition of Kosovo would be a condition for EU membership, Đurić was explicit that recognition is not a condition and recalled that even the EU didn’t recognize Kosovo as a state.
When asked with whom Belgrade is now holding the dialogue in Brussels, if it doesn’t recognize an independent Kosovo, Djuric explained that, from a formal and legal standpoint, and in light of the Serbian Constitution and laws, the dialogue was being held with the provisional institutions of self-governance, whereas Pristina saw its institutions as those of an independent state.
When the Koha ditore journalist said that Albanians don’t want to go back to Serbia, and that Serbs from Kosovo don’t want to recognize Kosovo as independent, and asked whether Serbia has a strategy for the division of Kosovo, Đurić said that Serbia’s strategy is to promote the peaceful coexistence of all who live in Kosovo and Metohija. That refers to the normal functioning of and communication with institutions that exist in Kosovo and Metohija, no matter what their different stances or characters may be.
“Despite the fact that there is clear disagreement, we don’t focus on that, and we are not focusing on the things we don’t agree on. Instead, we talk about what we can agree on. And we work to find mutual interests, joint solutions for problems, of which there are many. It is questionable whether we can settle them jointly even if we agree in the best possible terms. Thus, our policy is distancing ourselves from clashes and divisions,” Đurić said.
Asked whether that means that the division of Kosovo is not an option anymore, Đurić recalled that this topic is not discussed, neither in Brussels nor at other forums. And when it comes to the Government of Serbia, he reiterated that its policy is based on respect for international law with the goal of normalization of relations with Pristina.
“We don’t want any divisions amongst ourselves, neither within Serbia nor within Kosovo,” Đurić added.
When asked whether Belgrade would accept a historic peace agreement, if Kosovo offered such a thing in the future, Đurić said that would depend on the offer, and reiterated that Belgrade is always open for talks on all topics.
In that context, and reacting to an article which appeared in Belgrade-based daily Danas (“Đurić: We’ll maybe sign a peace agreement”), the Office for Kosovo and Metohija noted that there are no talks on that, and there can’t be any about a formal peace agreement since it refers to two states. It also recalled that Belgrade wants peace in Kosovo and Metohija and normalization between Serbs and Albanians through new agreements, similar to the first Brussels one.
The future of Serbs and Albanians in the province rests in the normalization of mutual relations, and not in one-upmanship over status issues or headlines in newspaper articles, reads the Office’s statement.
