Belgrade, May 14, 2007 - Coordinator of the state negotiating team for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said yesterday that the announcement of Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin that Russia may veto a resolution by the United States and its allies on Kosovo-Metohija opens a new chapter in solving the issue of the southern Serbian province.
Samardzic told news agency Tanjug that now it is very likely that the US plan will not pass as it will be prevented by the Russian veto.
He added that Serbia is ready for this new chapter as it has the new Constitution, a new negotiating platform, comprehensive amendments, a good plan for Kosovo and good political will and therefore expects the process to continue.
The announced veto is not just encouraging for Serbia, it is also the warning for the US and its allies and partners. This is a principle-grounded warning and we hope that the EU will now realise it will have to formulate its policy toward Kosovo-Metohija by itself, Samardzic said.
The US is now time-restricted as it insisted that the final decision is made by end-May, he said and noted that complex political issues call for more patience and more time for negotiations.