Stefanovic: EU Members Must Not Take Sides in Kosovo

Borko Stefanovic (Beta/Milan Obradovic)

Borko Stefanovic, chairman of the Serbian parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, said on Oct. 2 that European Union member states must not take sides in Kosovo and should instead insist on the rule of law, freedom of the press, fighting crime and corruption, and curbing autocracy.

Speaking before an EU parliamentary conference in Madrid, Stefanovic said there could be no solution to the Kosovo issue without democratization of the region and of Serbia.

"Any restrictive measures from the EU against Serbia must not be such that they impact the people. Rather, it is necessary for Europe to realistically see the responsibility of individuals -- Kurti for trampling rights and violence against Serbs in Kosovo, and the Serbian regime for leaving Serbs in Kosovo outside police structures, which has led to violence and deaths," the Freedom and Justice Party, of which Stefanovic is vice president, quoted him as saying.

Stefanovic said only a dialogue based on the need for reconciliation and focusing on solving everyday issues could ensure sustainable and lasting peace while honoring the needs of Serbs and their constitutional view of the status of Kosovo. Any other approach, he added, will lead to rising tensions and violence, and threaten the stability of the entire region.