PM vows to protect party, talks German demands

Commenting on the German demands delivered to the authorities in Belgrade last week by a delegation of that country's ruling party, Dacic said that "a solution is being sought to continue European integrations without recognizing Kosovo"

(kosovoCompromisStuff) Tuesday, September 18, 2012

"There shouldn't be much excitement and concern. We know what we want. Everybody is entitled to present their demands, and we are entitled to our opinion. We are looking for a solution (that would enable us) to go through European integrations, join the EU, while not having to verify Kosovo's independence. That will be our principled stance until the end. We are ready for a dialogue with Priština in any format, in any place, to reach an agreed solution. If they think everything has already been solved, while we're supposed to sit at the same table and say, 'that's fine' - that won't happen."

Dacic also asserted that Serbia's strategy in Kosovo "must be realistic".

"It should be in the interest of Serbs both in the north and the south of Kosovo. The role of the government and the Office for Kosovo must be to help people in real life, as much as possible. The German demands also concern us completely halting the financing of Serbs in Kosovo , they say that these funds are greater than the assistance we are receiving from the EU. That's such wonderful concern for our budget," the prime minister said, and added:

"Then again, I'd ask them why they are giving enormous economic assistance to Kosovo? Why they came from all over the world to celebrate the end of supervised independence? How come Americans have an interest in helping Albanians, while Serbs should have no interest in helping Serbs? There is talk about parallel institutions in Kosovo - what was the KLA when it was formed, what did all those (ethnic) Albanian institutions outside the Serbian system represent? But - we should not complain that the world is unfair. The greatest success is to turn an enemy into a friend. That is what I will be trying to do."