Serbia's Jeremic seeks backing from Nonaligned Movement for Kosovo initiative

01/08/2008

TEHRAN, Iran -- Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic on Thursday (July 31st) asked the Nonaligned Movement member states to support Serbia's initiative for Kosovo at a UN General Assembly meeting in September. Belgrade plans to ask the International Court of Justice to judge whether Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence complied with international law. "I hope ... you will back our cause," said Jeremic in his address to the 15th Ministerial Conference of the Nonaligned Movement in Tehran. He added that Serbia is determined to become an EU member but that it also continues to support the values of the Nonaligned Movement, in which it has the status of an observer state. Members consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major international power bloc.

In other news Thursday, Kosovo's government approved a European partnership action plan and a strategy to fight trafficking. The approved strategy envisions firm and immediate action to fight all kinds of trafficking. The government also adopted a proposal for the construction of 18 small hydropower plants. (Zeri, Lajm, Express - 01/08/08; B92, Tanjug, FoNet, Politika - 31/07/08)