Ex Serb minister: Serbia giving up on Kosovo

Former Serb government 'Minister for Kosovo and Metohija', Slobodan Samardziq, considers a capitulation of Serbia the announcement made by the Serb authorities to begin discussions with the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

Samardziq stated for the Serbian media that the new Serb government has changed its policies towards Kosovo, forcing Russia to withdraw from protecting Serb interests.

UN’s Kosovo mission chief Lamberto Zannier has invited Serb government to discuss technical matters of joint concern between Kosovo and Serbia. One important point is the forthcoming replacement of his mission with a much weaker one led by the European Union that acknowledges the new reality in Kosovo.

According to Samardziq, there won’t be any kind of negotiations between the government of Serbia and UNMIK, because the UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon has already decided to reconfigure the UN Mission in Kosovo. “Russia has withdrawn from defending Serbia because Serbia has changed its policy towards Kosovo. So, emboldened by this, Ban Ki-Moon has taken his decision [to authorize UNMIK reconfiguration],” stated Samardziq.

Samardziq has also attacked Serb foreign minister Vuk Jeremiq for manipulating Serb public opinion. “Now Jeremiq will go there and fool the opinion that he and Zannier will discuss something, or that they will negotiate. This deception can’t be concealed with declarations as if in question are normal things,” stated Samardzic.

Samardziq, as a minister in the government of the nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica led Serbia’s efforts to thwart Kosovo government authority in the northernmost corner of Kosovo where about 40,000 Kosovo Serbs live. Kosovo and international authorities have expressed their concern that the region has become a hotbed of trafficking and other illicit activity causing huge losses to the budget of the Republic of Kosovo.