SETimes.comSerbia approves measures in response to eventual Kosovo independence
15/01/2008
The Serbian government adopted a "top secret" action plan on Monday outlining measures to be taken by the country's institutions should Kosovo adopt a unilateral declaration of independence.
(Blic - 15/01/08; Reuters, AP, AFP, Euronews, Balkan Insight, Beta, B92, Serbian government - 14/01/08)
The Serbian government adopted an action plan Monday (January 14th) that details the measures the country's agencies and institutions will implement in the event Kosovo unilaterally declares independence.
Serbian Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic told reporters that he could not reveal the contents of the plan as it was classified as top secret.
The action plan, adopted at an extraordinary cabinet session Monday, was in line with a recent parliamentary resolution "on the protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order" of Serbia in case Kosovo unilaterally declares independence, the government said in a statement.
That document cited the defence of "Kosovo as an integral part of Serbia" as the chief priority of state institutions until a compromise solution is reached. It also called for further efforts to ensure the continuation of negotiations towards achieving an agreement.
As 18 months of internationally sponsored talks on determining Kosovo's final status failed to bridge the gap between Belgrade and Pristina's stances, none of the major powers, except for Russia, support Serbia's push for further negotiations.
Rejecting the demand of Kosovo's 90% ethnic Albanian majority for full independence, and envisioning instead granting the province some form of statehood, Serbia has repeatedly made clear that the only outcome it could accept is broad autonomy within its borders.
The Kosovo assembly is now widely expected to adopt a unilateral declaration of independence following Serbia's presidential election. The first round will be held on Sunday, with a runoff tentatively scheduled for February 3rd.
The United States and most EU nations have suggested that they would be ready to recognise an independent Kosovo even without UN endorsement.
Serbian officials have indicated that the country could downgrade or even sever diplomatic relations with nations that make such a move.
Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and other officials from his Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) have suggested they might push for halting the country's EU integration process.
While no details about the specific measures in the action plan have been disclosed, information leaked in recent months has shed light on some other possible retaliatory steps under consideration.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a government source told Reuters on Monday that the plan specified the steps each ministry would have to take, including arrangements for a possible influx of Kosovo Serb refugees.
"This is mostly posturing, a show of determination, it doesn't mean that any of these measures will be implemented," the unnamed official said.
Interior Minister Dragan Jocic described the task of his ministry as preventing "any unrest or terrorist incidents in the territory of Serbia".
Other possible measures listed in media reports include the imposition of a trade and goods embargo and a travel blockade for Kosovo Albanians, who would then have to seek alternative, longer routes to Western European destinations. Serbia, which is the only route through which Kosovo's Energy Corporation imports electricity, could also decide to cut off the power supply to the province.