Unhappy with the International Court of Justice's ruling that Kosovo's independence declaration did not violate international law (EurActiv 23/07/10), Serbia has taken the issue to the UN, hoping for a more sympathetic approach from its members to the issue of territorial integrity.
The draft resolution calls for fresh talks on all outstanding issues, but also condemns Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. Belgrade plans to get it adopted at a session which starts in mid-September.
As reported by international agencies, the EU has warned Belgrade that insisting on the resolution could harm relations with Brussels and eventually its aspirations to join the EU.
Serbian President Boris Tadić said on Saturday that in the next few days a government delegation will travel to Brussels and speak with European Union representatives, Beta reported.
Speaking to the press, Tadić pointed out that comments on the draft Kosovo resolution had not come from the EU institutions, but from the foreign ministries of individual countries.
"We will be flexible, but there are limits we can't cross," Tadić said.
It remains unknown who might lead the Serbian delegation, which may travel for talks with EU officials later in the week.
Maja Kocijancic, spokesperson for EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, said that the Union was aware of Belgrade's readiness to harmonise views on the Kosovo resolution.
The Serbian press reports that EU countries would probably push for changes to the draft resolution, possibly to make it completely meaningless.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on 26 August in Belgrade that the European Union was in favour of direct talks between Belgrade and Pristina and that they should take place in Brussels, not New York.
"It is imperative that the dialogue is on practical issues and better living conditions. The EU believes that there is a chance for those talks in Brussels, not New York," Westerwelle told students in the University of Belgrade.
He added that reconciliation could only be successful if Belgrade faced up to reality. Westerwelle recalled that Kosovo's independence was a reality and that the expert opinion of the International Court of Justice was not ambiguous.
UK Foreign Minister William Hague is expected today (31 August) in Belgrade. According to the daily Blic, Hague might request Tadić to withdraw the resolution completely.
Humiliating treatment?
Blic writes that many international officials, UK Ambassador to Serbia Stephen Wordsworth included, were offended by the way Serbia presented its UN General Assembly resolution to them.
The ambassadors were called into the Foreign Ministry, where the resolution was read aloud to them. They had to write it down by hand, after which it was immediately submitted to the UN General Assembly without any further consultation. This was humiliating, writes the newspaper.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung quoted unnamed Serbian politicians as saying off the record that that they needed "this last battle" at the UN so as to be able to tell the population that they had tried everything in an attempt to keep Kosovo.
