Mijacic: Law on foreigners disastrous for Serbs in Kosovo, Sorensen must state his position regarding ZSO

The coordinator for the National Convention for Chapter 32 (in Serbia's EU accession negotiations), Dragisa Mijacic, said today that the implementation of Pristina's law on foreigners should be postponed until Pristina forms the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) in Kosovo and Metohija.

Recommended

He also called on EU's special representative for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Peter Sorensen, to state whether the ZSO is still a priority in his work.

Mijacic said that Pristina's law on foreigners can have disastrous consequences for the Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija and pointed out that everything happening under the guise of passing the law on foreigners and vehicles is a blow to healthcare and education. According to him, if these institutions stop existing in their current format, it will mean the disappearance of the Serb community in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.

"I think this is a decisive moment when we all have an obligation to raise our voices against this and to say what will happen. If there is no clear answer on how to prevent this type of integration by the government of Kosovo, I am afraid that we (Serbs) will not survive in that area," Mijacic told RTS.

He added that today the Serb List invited representatives of healthcare and education sectors to a meeting where they should present proposals on how to survive in of Kosovo and Metohija under such circumstances.

Mijacic assessed that "the constitutionality of the law on foreigners is not disputed, but it changes the multi-ethnic character of Kosovo and Metohija and the question is whether so-called Kosovo remains a multi-ethnic territory, which was the demand of those who advocated for its independence - or will it become a mono-ethnic territory where one nation will disappear."

"I think that Marko Djuric (Serbian foreign minister) has to go to Brussels and talk to Eu representatives and ask them clearly about their point of view when it comes to the key issue related to the survival of Serbs in that area," Mijacic said.

He added that the most important thing is to preserve institutions which are of vital importance for the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija and that there is "no possibility of extraterritoriality of healthcare and education institutions."

Mijacic also stated that the question arises as to whether the formation of the ZSO is a priority for (Peter) Sorensen - something the EU official never expressed a stance on - and reminded that the EU undertook the obligation to effect the formation of the ZSO.

"The ZSO should be formed first, in which way the healthcare and education system would be legalized," Mijacic said.

Commenting on the EU high representative for foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, saying that she is ready to soon host "a high-level meeting between Belgrade and Pristina", Mijacic said that he "does not see what could be discussed in the current circumstances, unless the application of the law on foreigners is postponed and legalization of healthcare and education is resolved."

Mijacic added that it is not known who will be the head of Pristina's negotiating team after Albin Kurti formed a new government and noted that previous negotiator Besnik Bislimi is not among the ministers, "which indicates that Bislimi will probably not deal with issues of importance for the dialogue, or that the government in Pristina will bring it to a lower level."

Speaking about Kurti's new government, Mijacic assessed that "it will be a government of continuity, above all when it comes to pressure on the Serb community" and that "no major changes are expected."

Mijacic also pointed out that making Nenad Rasic the minister for communities and return violated (Pristina's) constitution because a ministerial post belongs to the Serb List as the party that has the majority of Serb deputies in the assembly in Pristina, and added that "unconstitutional practices have become part of the political practice in Pristina."

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)