Serbia rejects linkage between Kosova, EU membership
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic told Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik on April 18 that "the messages that Serbia should choose between Europe and Kosovo are unacceptable for Serbia, because Kosovo is woven into Serbia, and Serbia is woven into Europe," FoNet reported the same day. Draskovic said Serbia's commitment to European integration is strategic, while its ties to Kosova are historical, cultural, religious, and legal. Draskovic's comments were subsequently echoed by President Tadic on April 19, according to Radio Belgrade. Plassnik repeated the EU's official line, saying that "the time for negotiations is up; now we need to resolve the situation." However, a number of EU member states -- including Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain -- have voiced reservations about the Ahtisaari plan, while Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer on April 13 called for a deal "where both [Serbia and Kosova] emerge from the situation holding their heads high." Gusenbauer said that Vienna has been discussing Kosova with members of Tadic's personal team, indicating that he believes the international community should pursue a resolution based on the model of Italy's devolution of power to German-speakers in Alto Adige (South Tyrol). Representatives of four EU states -- Britain, France Germany, and Italy -- joined other members of the international Contact Group for Kosova (Russia and the United States) for talks in Moscow on April 20. They will do so again next week in Berlin. // Copyright (c) 2005. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. RFE/RL
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