National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia / Activities / Activity details
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Forty-First Sitting of the Committee on Kosovo-Metohija
At the sitting held on 27 December, the Committee on Kosovo-Metohija deliberated on the Ordinance on the control of the crossing of the administrative line toward the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija, passed by the Government.
The sitting was attended by Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic and the head of the Serbian Government’s Negotiating Team for dialogue with Pristina Borislav Stefanovic and associates. The presidents of the four Serbian municipalities from the north of Kosovo, head of the Kosovska Mitrovica District and a representative of the Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of Kosovo-Metohija took part in the sitting.
Addressing the Committee members, Borislav Stefanovic said that the entire Serbian Government stands behind the reached agreements, deeming that the agreement on the crossing of the administrative line did not in any way jeopardize the Serbian Constitution and laws. He stressed that no agreement reached in the dialogue with Pristina recognised the independence of Kosovo. Stefanovic restated that dialogue with Pristina was the only way to resolve the problems in Kosovo and that it was aimed at protecting Serbs and the state’s interests.
The several-hour-long debate gave voice to various opinions and opposing views on the agreements reached in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. The Committee members from opposition parties and representatives of Serbs from the north of Kosovo declared the ordinance on the crossings unconstitutional, anti-state and unacceptable for the citizens of the province and that the ordinance recognised independent Kosovo, while other Committee members deemed that none of the agreements reached in Brussels violated the Constitution. In addition, they once again requested that a National Assembly sitting be convened as that was, they said, the right place to debate Kosovo and the only place where the Government representatives can gain support or be denied it.
Taking part in the debate, the representatives of the municipalities from the north of Kosovo spoke in favour of a referendum where Serbs could decide whether they accepted integration into Kosovo institutions.
Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic deemed the announced referendum unnecessary, adding that it would not resolve the problems. He said that instead of a referendum which would further complicate the already difficult situation in Kosovo-Metohija, Serbs from Kosovo should direct their attention toward preserving the institutions of the state of Serbia and with it survival of the Serbian people.
Due to a lack of quorum, the sitting was completed without voting on the conclusions proposed regarding the Report on the current course of the dialogue with the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina and the agreements reached on university diplomas and integrated control of the administrative line.
The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Ljubomir Kragovic.
Addressing the Committee members, Borislav Stefanovic said that the entire Serbian Government stands behind the reached agreements, deeming that the agreement on the crossing of the administrative line did not in any way jeopardize the Serbian Constitution and laws. He stressed that no agreement reached in the dialogue with Pristina recognised the independence of Kosovo. Stefanovic restated that dialogue with Pristina was the only way to resolve the problems in Kosovo and that it was aimed at protecting Serbs and the state’s interests.
The several-hour-long debate gave voice to various opinions and opposing views on the agreements reached in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. The Committee members from opposition parties and representatives of Serbs from the north of Kosovo declared the ordinance on the crossings unconstitutional, anti-state and unacceptable for the citizens of the province and that the ordinance recognised independent Kosovo, while other Committee members deemed that none of the agreements reached in Brussels violated the Constitution. In addition, they once again requested that a National Assembly sitting be convened as that was, they said, the right place to debate Kosovo and the only place where the Government representatives can gain support or be denied it.
Taking part in the debate, the representatives of the municipalities from the north of Kosovo spoke in favour of a referendum where Serbs could decide whether they accepted integration into Kosovo institutions.
Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic deemed the announced referendum unnecessary, adding that it would not resolve the problems. He said that instead of a referendum which would further complicate the already difficult situation in Kosovo-Metohija, Serbs from Kosovo should direct their attention toward preserving the institutions of the state of Serbia and with it survival of the Serbian people.
Due to a lack of quorum, the sitting was completed without voting on the conclusions proposed regarding the Report on the current course of the dialogue with the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina and the agreements reached on university diplomas and integrated control of the administrative line.
The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Ljubomir Kragovic.