Friday 9 February 2007 at 20:30 on Europe by Satellite

Kosovo/Serbia/EU

Full transcript and shot list

00:00 Cutaways of the European Council in Brussels(exterior)

00:26 European flag

00:33 Logo of the German Presidency

00:51Interview with Cristina Gallach, spokesperson of Javier Solana, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy

We are reassured because the visit to Prishtina was very good, very positive, the leaders there were very constructive, Mr Solana clearly passed the message of the support of the EU to the Ahtisaari plan but particularly of the appeal to the local leaders, to the Kosovar leaders to act constructively and in a responsible manner. They reassured the EU that that was the path they are going to follow and they are ready to engage in a dynamic manner in Viennawith president Ahtisaari, so we think this is a very good step. At the same time in Belgrade, all the leaders, in particular the president, the PM engaged themselves to participate as well in the talks in Vienna, and we think that’s a very good step because we understand very well the difficulties that they have explained to us of the elements that the Ahtisaari proposal have. But at the same time they are ready to work with president Ahtisaari in an engaged manner and to make their case in Viennaas soon as the Parliament has been formed and as soon as there is a representation of that Parliament that can go to the talks on behalf of the Serbian people.

02:28

Well, I think there is one interesting development, is the way things have been shaped, there is a separation of the engagement in order to move forward the Kosovo process and the discussions to form the government, we think that is good, we think there is an urgency in responding to the invitation of President Ahtisaari and for that the Parliament should take a decision and should send people to Vienna. At the same time the leaders of the democratic and pro European forces are to continue their consultations in order to form a government. So, these two issues have been separated, we think that is good, we think that will help both processes at the same time in any case we have encouraged the President, the PM, the leaders of G17 to dynamise their consultations in order to be able to form a government as soon as possible. The sooner as we have a government, the sooner the EU will be able to engage with that government.

03:49

Well, the discussions continue, the talks are not easy, there are discussions that touch to names and posts, very important names and posts, therefore we have to leave them some time but they know very well that the majority of the population voted for pro European forces and those pro European forces have the mandate to produce a government from the will of the people expressed in the elections, so that’s what we hope and the consultations that Mr Solana had with all the leaders move signalling that is what is going to happen. In any case there is some time because those are important issue that have to be yet finalized.

04:40

We expect very much from all the Ministers of the EU to send a clear signal of support and welcoming to the Ahtisaari proposals, at the same time to encourage the two sides to go to Vienna to the dialogue and we have already the engagement of both of them, so that is going to be very positively welcomed, the Ministers will once again confirm the willingness to establish and deepen the relations between the EU and Serbia, this is fundamental and we are going to look at how precisely we can do that, how quick we can do that once we have the government, that is why a message as well from the Ministers is going to be of an acceleration of the talks in order to have a government, a government which is committed to the reforms and a gvt which is committed to cooperate in a credible manner with all international organisations, including of course ICTY.

05:49 Cutaways of the European Parliament (exterior)

06:15 Doris Pack, Member of the European Parliament

I don’t think it would be a good signal to leave the conditions behind because I think we make these conditions, you can never trust anybody if you forget what you said yesterday, so if there is a full cooperation, it doesn’t mean that Mladic has to be delivered and there should be a signal of full cooperation, that is something else than having him delivered, it can be the same but it can also be a little bit less if there is really obvious signal that they will work together. It wasn’t until today. Ones they wanted and others they didn’t want. So I don’t think they will send that signal on Monday, there will be a strong signal, as Mr Solana expressed that we want the Serbs to reflect on the proposals and to be cooperative I think that will be the only message. On the other hand you remember that there was NATO which reacted in another way and for the first moment I was little bit surprised but then I said ok, it shows that we want them, that we want to be together with them but they are different institutions, some of them are more on human rights and that question (inaudible) NATO is something else so I think they had decided it and I accepted it and it gave a signal but even this signal was not taken so seriously otherwise they would have started now to be more cooperative and more…

08:17 Gisela Kallenbach, Member of the European Parliament

Definitely I think Serbia still has a lot of support of many members of the different European institutions to assist, to be on Serbian side, to integrate them step by step into the EU but as this process is not one-sided, we need both sides to go this way together and therefore there is also a lot to do or to be done by Serbia. I understand we are in a difficult situation, there is no government so far, there are suspended negotiations and we know all the reasons for it and that’s why I regret deeply that this problem with Commander Mladic was not solved years ago so we wouldn’t have this problem on the table. On the other hand, I expect both sides to be fair and stick to their commitments and obligations. So far I understand that the European Commission has put this condition that Mr Mladic has to go to the Hague and as long as this is not fulfilled it’s hard to say ok now we open again the negotiations because this would be a very necessary step that we could re-open the negotiations and so far I think Serbia has to do this homework.

Kosovo – other issue. I totally understand how difficult it is for Serbia to say ok now we are losing the last part of Former Yugoslavia; it’s only a rest left over, the State Union with Montenegro was quit, so what to do. But we all know since almost eight years that we need a status solution, a decision made what shall be made with this province Kosovo and I understand that it very difficult for Serbian politicians to say ok Kosovo is lost due to the Milosevic regime and his action at this time as I know that Kosovo is also the cradle of Serb orthodox church and there is still a lot of also emotional relations from Serbia to Kosovo but on the other hand I also deeply understand Kosovo Albanians or Kosovars that they never would be willing to live again under Serbian sovereignty.

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