BELGRADE -- Serbia can never agree to let go of Kosovo, president Boris Tadić told the Associated Press.
Source: AP
Close the entire text of the article here
"We must not isolate ourselves from the European Union, the West and Russia. We should conduct our policies relying on those three foreign policy pillars," he added.
To speed up its pro-Western reforms and work to improve living standards for its citizens, Serbia must arrest the remaining war crimes suspects sought by the Hague Tribunal, including former Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladić, Tadić told the agency.
"We must move faster toward the EU. We must remove the obstacles," Tadić said. "There should be no compromise about that."
"Serbia will never agree to independence for Kosovo," Tadić told the agency speaking about the southern Serbian province. "We will not give up any right that is granted to any other country in the world."
"The Ahtisaari plan is not the Holy Bible," he said. "Serbia is open for a compromise ... but we are not ready to give up part of our integrity and identity."
"There is very little time" for Serbia to try to win international support for its bid to keep Kosovo, Tadić conceded, but added: "It must take the initiative in that short period of time."
Serbia does not want to rule Kosovo economically or politically, but will not accept it becoming an independent state, he said.
Yet Serbia's efforts to block final approval of the Ahtisaari plan at the UN Security Council "should not lead to destruction of our relations" with the United States and its Western allies who have supported the blueprint, Tadić said.
Tadic is saying the truth. He is a (ultra)nationalist a la Kostunica and hates Albanians. He has always been a nationalist. He is son to a member of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubomir Tadic. This academy has during the last two decades encouraged ethnic cleansing of K-Albanians and revocation of the autonomy of Kosovo. Besides his statements are full of contradictions.
(Suzana, 11 April 2007 10:51)
Tadic, has stepped up to the dilema facing Serbia but is steering the best path through. Tadic as President and Kostunica as PM have forged a way forward that sees Serbia integral and as a bridge between US-EU on one side and Russia-China the other. Yugoslavia was effective in balancing the two lets hope Serbia can move forward utilising it's geo-politics but discarding the worst elements utilised in the past - with these 2 in their position for the next 4 years I think much progress can be done!
When it comes it Kosovo & Metohija it is evident that Serbia is Unified - NO to partition of Serbia, Yes to compromise!
(Princip, UK, 11 April 2007 11:05)
Who cares if you accept Kosovo's independence or not, we will not rest until we are free from you once and for all. You must understand that the Kosovo albanians are past caring what you or the world thinks about Kosovo.
What you fail to understand is that we are not beeing irrational or emotional when we say "independence and nothing else." We really mean it and we are willing to back that up with our lives. Are you? Are you really willing to die for a land you have never seen?
"Serbia does not want to rule Kosovo economically or politically, but will not accept it becoming an independent state"....so serbia doesnt want anything to do with kosovo but doesnt want it independent....isnt this some sort of a contracdiction...I suppose only thing left is to rule kosovo militarily.
(Daniel, 11 April 2007 12:07)
It doesn't matter... Even more, Kosovars doesn't expect and ask for it from Serbia.
There are a lot of things to be done before it. It can be as an option only after reconciliation and before reconciliation there are well known steps in international relations/affairs which needs to be done by Serbia and Kosovo Serbs... Independency of Kosovo is only one step forward and Serbia has a lot to deal and solve...
Good luck Kosovo on your own way...
(Dane, 11 April 2007 12:14)
You and other 'ultra-nationalist ' ethnic Albanians continue to make inflammatory statements, to include PM Çeku, that you are 'willing to die and fight for Kosovo, and that the Serbs do not have the courage to march back into Kosovo'.
It is pretty easy to do this when you have an 18,000 NATO force here to support you, of which I have been part of.
If memory serves me correct the Serb military routed the UCK/KLA handedly in 1999 and I'm willing to bet that if KFOR were to leave tomorrow and direct the Serbs to 'reintegrate' Kosovo, you 'brave Illyrian warriors' would be making the run for the mountains of Northern Albania.
NATO did the heavy lifting in this conflict, do not beat your chest and brag for your 'accomplishments'.
(Anthony, 11 April 2007 13:06)
I have been thinking about the future of kosovo, the wishes of the Albanians and the concerns of the minorities, and the protection of cultural sites.
'IF' Kosovo was to sucede then before this was achieved Serbia should gift some territories to its neighbours. Serbia could keep N.Mitrovica-Zvecan-Leposavic area for itself, it could also gift the Pec-Decani area to Montenegro and the Dragas-Brod area to Macedonia.
This would still leave the Albanians with the majority of Kosovo territory but ensure the continued existence of a good number of minority areas and cultural sites.
Its not a perfect idea because the Albanians would not get all the territory they wanted and not all the minorities or cultural sites would be outside of the new Kosova(particularly Gracanica and the Lipjan minority villages and communes), but isn't that what the word compromise means?
(Jack, 11 April 2007 14:00)
Princip sometime I note that you are doing more than just dreaming...you are very far out...outside of the solar system. How can you tell something like Serbia a "bridge between US-EU and Russia-China" ? Those big guys do not need a small insignificant country as a bridge.
(Joe, 11 April 2007 14:45)
Serbia wanting to keep Kosovo has nothing to do with nationalism it is about Serbias integrity as a country. If territory can be taken away from Serbia against its will it's not a country any more.
(BRian, 11 April 2007 14:55)
All those brave fighters that was camping out in macedonia and albania came back and said they were UCK because they did not have the balls to admit they ran off to refugee camps. NATO bomb the hell out of Kosovo and the Serbian Army still stood strong. But after negoitiation they withdrew and the people streamed back to Kosovo claming they routed the Serbs. If you are so brave to fight then why do you still live in the EU countries and won't return to Kosovo except on Vacation. All the nice cars and weddings galore. But the people in Kosovo suffer. Anyway we shall see what happens in the future.
(J.Ham, 11 April 2007 15:31)
Brian,
I do not understand why a country cannot be anymore a country in case a piece of territory is taken away from it.
Could the case of Kosovo be the first in history?
(massimo, 11 April 2007 15:43)
Brian do'nt worry. Serbia will still be a country but size wise a little bit smaller and more homogenous.
You will have to get used to it.
(Joe, 11 April 2007 15:48)
Again, let's put this into perspective. What did you expect Tadic to say? Name me any state leader who is going to just sit there and say "oh, sure, take territory from my country away." Bush? Blair? Putin? Ceku? Tadic is no different than anyone else, and to think that he's some sort of ultranationalist or anti-Albanian racist is missing the point. No state leader is going to willingly give away their territory. I'm sure if we polled Germans after 1945, they wouldn't be interested in giving up Pommerania and Silesia, and I'm pretty certain Ceku and Sejdiu wouldn't be interested in letting go of territory in Kosovo either.
(Mike, 11 April 2007 16:15)
It's funny, I don't know one Serb that hates Albanians. We all hate what your doing (trying to take Serbian land using other countries forces) but I can just feel the haterd toward Serbs in the words of some commentators (Suzana, Nick, Vega to mention a few). Albanians are living on Serb soil and if you declare independece it will still be Serb soil as long as there is even one Serb left in the world. Don't get to comfortable yet! Remember that you already have a country and independence, it's called Albania, go and have all the freedom you want there and leave our land & our people alone! Stop the hate now!
(Zoran, 11 April 2007 16:28)
I am not an ultra-nationalist. In fact its quite the contrary, all who have read my previous posts know this.
Its very strange that an ex KFOR soldier would protect the Serbs after having visited Kosovo and seen the reality. I can only assume that you are either Greek or French, so you either simpathyse with your orthodox bretheren or you are a serbofile.
And let me me something apsolutelty clear, betwen 1945 and 1998 the Serbian and Yugoslav state disarmed the albanians en mase, there were entire campaings forcing people to give up their weapons and sometimes people were forced o buy a gun and give it to the serbs in order to avoid going to jail.
The serbian army nearly defeated the KLA because the KLA was 2 years old and very poorly armed.
Come to Kosovo now and you will see this has changed dramatically.
Serbs only fight deffensless people, we all saw what happened when they faced an organized enemy suh as the Croats.
Well if it wasn’t for the KLA, Albanians would still be under inhuman Serb invasion. KLA fought Serbian forces and the Serb forces repeatedly and disgracefully attacked innocent women and children in all three wars Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. It really just goes to show what kind of living thing Serbs are. Thanks to the Internet such evidence is for the world to see and it’s flooded with picture and video facts of Serbian brutal massacres on innocent civilians.
(Leon, 11 April 2007 17:48)
"Tadić: We will never accept Kosovo’s independence"
How funny, reading this article just reafermes the confusion on which the Serbian government is imposing on its people. However, there are several hints there that pro EU&US approach is more desirable. Perhaps, Mr Tadic has come to it's senses finally and gradually is preparing his people to face West and not East as they have been doing for a very long time.
Realization of the reality is sinking in.
(M, 11 April 2007 18:06)
Anthony,
what serbian and paramilitary forces succeded in routing out of kosovo was, 1 million people by burning down hundreds of villages and towns, killing tens of thousand of elderly, women and children and by using illegal weapons,(as millions of cluster bombs and poisonous gas bombs)
your tough talk, does not mentioned that most of that those weapons were used mostly to terrorize rather than fight KLA, which was an farly new organisation, not an army with sophisticated Russian made weaponry paid from the tax payers of ex-yugo...also serbia was quick to steal all this weaponry to achive the GREAT SRBIA !
(klei, 11 April 2007 18:14)
There were no tens of thousands of dead women and children. There were no cluster bombs or poison gas(at least not from the Serb side).
As for the parity of weapons, the UCK was supplied not only with tonnes of weapons and ammo looted from Albania's arsenals but was also equipped with ultra modern NATO weaponry and, had US and UK special forces training and leading them. Not only this but the UCK had the most powerful airforce ever assembled flying close combat missions for them 24/7.
The reason the UCK and NATO did so badly against the VJ is because the VJ had quality training, superior tactics and leadership, better esprit de corps and they were fighting to defend their homeland.
Inspite of the overwhelming NATO superiority in the air the Yugo airforce still flew successful missions against NATO airbases at Tuzla and the Albanian coast and Twice bombed UCK staging camps in Albania. All this under the noses of the NATO airforce without being detected until they were at or had already hit their targets. Now that's what I call STEALTH BOMBING.
1999 was never a military defeat of Yugoslavia. 1244 was much less than Rambouillet and the only reason Milosevic signed even that was due to the criminal destruction of Yugoslavia's infrstructure.
So you Albofiles carry on dreaming up you comic book stories while us Serbofiles as you call us(I prefer the term Truthofiles) keep plugging away at debunking the millions of column inches and sound bytes of propaganda pumped out by NATO and the UCK for the last ten years.
(Jack, 11 April 2007 20:19)
Oluja? And exactly which army fought against Oluja? None, there was no fight. Only a retreat. Milosevic & Tudjman made deals behind closed doors about the Serbs in croatia. If you want to see the JNA vs. Croatia, the only fighting between them was in Vukovar. The place was completely destroyed. Please do not compare Serbia (with a professional military) who has stood up against armies MANY times its size with the KLA, who lost EVERY battle they ever encountered. If you want proof, Albanians have always been the losers, and followers throughout their history. Serbia has had empires and ruled the region throughout. Serbia is the powerhouse of the Balkans, get used to it, its been that way for centuries. Serbs don't train to fight women & children, and they certainly don't hide behind them like the leader of the KLA did before getting his entire family killed. They are among the best soldiers the world has ever seen. History, backs this up, i don't care what CNN & PR firms "made up".
(Vuk, 11 April 2007 20:25)
No I actually am an American CIMIC/Civil Affairs Soldier and a Latin - Rite (Roman) Catholic.
I am not defending what happened during the conflict, on both sides, even though my government inflamed it. There was no major refugee crisis until the NATO bombing campaign started and Operation Horseshoe began. Even with the NATO bombing, we did not bring Milosevic to the table until we took out power grids in Serbia - proper.
There will always need to be 'ground pounders', we must learn this.
As far as 'picking on the defenseless' tell that to the Priests from Ferizaj/Urosevac who now is an internally displaced person in Shtrepece/Strpce, or to the 250,000 people displaced after the war and after the intervention of the world, tell that to the families and communities that had 200 Churches desecrated/destroyed, and dozens upon dozens of graveyards desecrated and human remains scattered in the fields for the dogs.
So I am no defending what Serb paramilitary forces did in Kosovo, but it was not all Serbs nor was it all of the military. Nor is everyones hands free from blood.
I am very critical of the world, and in particular my government, who did a poor job to secure this place with clear political goals 'post conflict'
(Anthony, 11 April 2007 21:19)
«Thanks to the Internet such evidence is for the world to see and it’s flooded with picture and video facts of Serbian brutal massacres on innocent civilians.»
This is true, and even if there are videos, justice is not done. Look at the jugment to these Scorpions: 2 were sentenced and they others reveived candies. All had premeditated these killings and all deserved at least 30 years in jail. Vukov was released. Why?
(Victor, 11 April 2007 21:27)
Jack
by seperating Kosovo in to couple doiferent countries you making a more problems to these countries liek a Monte negro total popuylation is 600,000.00 and from them 5% are albanians and 7% are Bosnians if you conect Peq and decani to Montenegro albanians would be more than 50% of the Montenegrian population.
(toni, 11 April 2007 21:50)
"Princip sometime I note that you are doing more than just dreaming...you are very far out...outside of the solar system."
- fortunetly I am not as far out as the deluded ethnic-Albanian leadership who suggested that Independence was definetly happening in 2006 - Opps its 2007 and time is passing by fast!!!!
Now Ceku I have noted has said definetly May - in December he said early 2007 - I wonder how far out he is??? More importantly whayt will you be saying in May when we are told that actually all will be discussed at the G8 summit in June???
(Princip, UK, 11 April 2007 21:57)
If Kosovo gets formally occupied, it would yet again prove money, and not values, run the West.
By the way, Tadic an 'ultra-nationalist'? lol hahahaha....why not call him a 'mega-nationalist', and Tomislav Nikolic 'supreme-nationalist', and Kostunica 'ultra-super-mega mother of all nationalists'.
Enough of the propoganda already and these meaningless goofy titles-Tadic is anything but a pro-Serbia politician, but at least hes pretending to be haha.
(Vojvoda, 11 April 2007 22:00)
klei, get real. Tens of thousands of dead? millions of cluster bombs? routing out 1 million people? I think the official figure of dead people was around 3000, on all sides. You seem to forget who routed out those 1 million people with cluster bombs. It was NATO, since people started fleeing AFTER the bombing campaign. Its just sad to see how some people just swallow all the propaganda that they are fed...
(yogi, 11 April 2007 22:51)
What did he say "We will never acccept Kosovo independence"? He is making a joke guys. Tadic knows very well that he is making foolish his own people. Who is expecting Tadic to say otherwise? He is making laugh to his own people and international community when saying "Serbia is for a compromise" What compromise is he talking about when he rules out the option of independence. Albanians in Kosova will never accept anything short of independence. That is clear even for an non adult. The Serbian government still having illusion of losing 15 per cent of its territory which actually has lost since 1999. During the war the Serbian Army fought against maily civilian and burned down most of Kosova which pretend to be its own territory. The campaigned ethnic cleansing against its "own" people (if they still call Kosova its own). Where is the morality based on asking not to accept Kosova independence?
(EA, 11 April 2007 23:06)
If we wanted a full scale war every healthy Albanian would go to fight. both in 99 and today and I don think that war would be easy for Serbia.
But a request for full mobilization newer came from our leaders otherwise we would gather at least 400.000 - 700.000 soldiers.
And I count on just Kosovas 2 milj population. But Kosovos did not want to start such a big war becouse they did no want to destabilise the balkans just get ride of serbia period.
So Kosovos unpaid soldiers would ruin serbia's economy within a few months like it alread have happened with its paid invading army who cost slobodan tens of millions of $$ a day.
a final note: newer underestimate kosovos abilities to fight.
(Erik, 12 April 2007 03:12)
Kleil, tens of thousand of people? I think bosnia last 6 years Kosovo a lot less and you say killed that many people. I think you are talking out but talking about Gas bombs i don't think they used Chemical weapons ever in Kosovo if they did everyone in the world would know and there you have it Serbia would be gulity of using chemical wpns check your facts next time.
(J.Ham, 12 April 2007 04:42)
It looks you are in hurry to see independent Kosovo!? Knowing your statements about this issue, I consider this as your direct provocation and impulsion of impatience among K-Albanians.
Please don't worry if Kosovo independence will come on May, June, July or even later... It is important that Kosovo has its own way and it is not important if independence is matter of weeks or months. KAlbanians are aware about situation and instead of hurry steps they choosed secure steps.
Good luck Kosovo on your own way...
(Dane, 12 April 2007 12:02)
No Haste at all is required I am just pointing out that I am not the dreamer who keeps on creating unrealistic timescales to an unrealsistic obejectives. On the contrary I am saying you need to keep waiting especially for something that will never happen!!!
(Princip, UK, 12 April 2007 13:51)
If I would be on your place, I wouldn't be so sure. Decisions are made on 1999 and even earlier.
Let's see who is waiting for something which will never happen and who can not see things which are alredy happening...
(Dane, 12 April 2007 14:38)