Strasbourg, 16/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - Serbia wants “sustainable and lasting peace” with the ethnic Albanian majority of Kosovo, although it has refused to recognise its self-declared independence, the Serbian foreign minister, Vuk Jeremic, announced on Monday 16 January, in his speech laying down the foreign policy priorities for 2012.
Serbia's “diplomatic efforts” will focus on “maintaining a healthy international environment in which technical dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina can continue”, he explained. Serbia needs “ironclad, internationally guaranteed assurances that safeguard” the Serbian population and their heritage in Kosovo, including ancient Christian churches, as well as “settling private and commercial property claims”, Jeremic added. The European Council in early March should decide to give Serbia the status of candidate to join the European Union, which is conditional on progress in dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.
On Sunday 15 January, a demonstration by a radical party calling for Kosovo's unification with Albania, saw nearly 150 people arrested and 52 injured. The demonstrators were trying to prevent Serbian goods from coming into Kosovo. Pristina condemned the demonstration. (CG/transl.fl)