Vuk Jeremic urges UN mandate for Kosovo investigation

The accusations are made by in a report submitted by Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty, and concern ethnic Albanian KLA's activities in Kosovo, which included kidnappings of Serb civilians and trade in their body parts.

While addressing the UN Security Council in New York on Wednesday, Jeremic also said that a proble should have a UN mandate.

"It is the position of the Republic of Serbia that the solution lies in establishing an ad hoc investigating mechanism created by-and accountable to-the Security Council," Jeremic noted.

"This has been the case in all previous instances involving war crimes in the Balkans, whichever side the perpetrators belonged to and irrespective of their political role," he asserted.

An inquiry by the EU Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) will not be enough, since EULEX does not have the mandate to conduct a serious investigation, he said.

"I want to be clear on the following point: its contribution to uncovering what took place inside Kosovo itself will be crucial. That alone will not be sufficient, however, because EULEX cannot operate outside Kosovo-while the relevant allegations appear to encompass not only that territory, but various UN member States in Europe, Asia and Africa," the minister stated.

The investigation should also ensure an efficient form of protection for witnesses and a program for their relocation in order to guarantee a truthful testimony, Jeremic argued, adding that witness protection was an acute problem in Kosovo.

A single institution must coordinate the inquiry, deal with jurisdiction issues and ensure a just process, he said.

According to Jeremic, only the participation of the UNSC can prevent claims of double standards.

"Maintaining a coherent approach on the issue of war crimes is an essential component in the common effort to consolidate peace and stability in the Balkans," said the Serbian official.

Serbia wants the UNSC to investigate the allegations made in Marty's report and punish the culprits if the claims are proven by the evidence, Jeremic noted.

With the third anniversary of Kosovo Albanians' unilateral declaration of independence approaching, Jeremić reiterated that Serbia found the declaration "null and void" and would "never recognize it, neither explicitly nor implicitly".

He called the UN members that have not recognized Kosovo to stay true to that decision, making sure that unilateral attempts to impose solutions for ethnic and territorial disputes do not become a legitimate practice and preventing Kosovo from becoming a dangerous and destabilizing precedent.

It will create a healthy atmosphere and allow the start of the long-awaited dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, he commented.

Jeremic feels the UN remains the most important institution in Kosovo, adding that "Serbia remains strongly committed to those talks, despite delays in getting them off the ground. We share the Secretary-General's assessment, contained in today's Report, that the dialogue is a 'valuable opportunity to [...] resolve long-standing issues which would contribute significantly to the consolidation of peace, stability and reconciliation in Kosovo and throughout the region,'"