Speaking to the press on a visit to Macedonia on 19 December, Tadić said that a possible solution for Kosovo would be "dual sovereignty" based on precedents in international practice.
He gave the example of the Irish model, explaining that "the Republic of Ireland does not recognise the division of its territorial integrity (with Northern Ireland) and despite that, it is a member of the European Union".
Under the 1998 Good Friday peace accord, the Dublin government dropped its claim to sovereignty over Northern Ireland, replacing it with an expressed hope to see a united Ireland, but based on a vote on both sides of the border.
Tadić added that other applicable models could be South Tyrol, an autonomous province in Northern Italy that borders Austria and Switzerland. A majority of the population speaks German and the region has achieved a considerable level of self-government, including a broad range of exclusive legislative powers and a fiscal regime that allows the province to retain 90% of all levied taxes.
The Serbian president also mentioned the 1972 model of the two Germanys. The "two Germanys" system allowed West Germany not to recognise the communist East while at the same time maintaining relations with the German Democratic Republic and even establishing a ministry in charge of inter-German relations.
Tadić pointed out that "the model should be European, in the sense that it would ensure peace and solve the everyday problems of the people."
Serbia hopes that EU leaders will decide in February to give the country candidate status, which would open the door to accession negotiations later in the year.
But any advance would depend on the status of the relations between Belgrade and Priština, diplomats warn.
COMMENTS
Yes, those are all very good ideas. However, this is an outright land grab! Serbia should not have to provide any concessions at all. The very land that's disputed has several hundred ancient Serbian churches and monasteries scattered throughout. The history of this region shows how people from nearby Albania immigrated to Kosovo and multiplied throughout the last 60 years of so. Does this mean that every country in the world should consider giving away part of it's land because of an influx of immigrants from other nations? Austria has a large Serbian population, perhaps they too should have land given to them. The Basque group in Spain should also have land provided as well Germany's growing Turkish population. Let's call it what it really is. This region is valuable to the outside countries who have been intervening and pushing for independence. They all have a hidden agenda and intend to use whatever means they can to forcefuly take a sovereign nations land.
mike ur a fool...kosovo 90% is albanian MAJORITY! dont say that turkish ppl and germany has nuttin to do wit this..there is still alot more germans than turks u idiot..and for ur info albanians been here in kosovo alot longer than 60 years...u must be a serbian crying about ur lost wars in the balkans...blame ur politicians and the ppl u elected to lead belgrade...if u didnt ask for war wit everyone around u than u wouldnt of lost any land including kosovo...kosovo is a done deal now live wit it i am a catholic btw but dont get all sentimental wit ur big holy russian loving orthodox church..we all made mistakes albanians aswell and still do...be real and blame ur own ppl for this..
well, is it a good idea? this solution comes close to a recognition of independency. so why this long way around? I know that soem Serbians are feared of losing what do not belong to them either. Those time have gone.
By taking into account such possible solutions Serbia does nothing than what it is doing implicit with Repulika Srbska in Bosnia and Herzegowina = always keep the possibility to reunion into a Great Serbia and this is not stabilizing Western Balkans.
Also, think of the many solutions and model Serbia or one of these peaoples have proposed for Kosovo. I think they are just trying to make up time - until the recognize the Republic of Kosovo. After some years, this is just going to be a fact, they cannot ignore!
This is a fair and reasonable compromise on part of the Serbian government -- perhaps a bit too fair in view of the mass massacres and organ harvesting Albanians committed on captured Serbian civilians. Germany would be well advised to consider it. There is no point in instigating another World War from the Balkans: German people didn't get two much from the first two, and there is very little reason to believe they will significantly benefit from the third.
Same like always Im going to ask a question: If Kosovo goes does Republika Srpska comes? If I was Tadic the ONLY was I would accept independence is to ask the same HUMAN rights for Republika Srpska. Yes Albanians are the majority in Kosovo now that they ethnicly cleansed it of Serbs, destroyed many churches and monasteies, graveyards everything non-albanian was destroyed and who was killed his/hers organs were sold. While Republika Srpska is well known for war crimes too, more done then suffered, people are still people and Serbs have the right to self determination too. It's unfair to say Albanians have the right to take soverign territory since they don't want to live with people whom it belongs to (Have in mind KLA started the war, not Milosevic) but Serbs have to live with Bosnians whom are historical bacstabers to them?
Also Istra and Krajina in Croatia shoud be independant. I don't see how it's "Greater Serbia" when Serbs ask to be independant but it's normal "Kosovo" when Albanians butcher mercilecly?
"Most EU countries - except Spain, Greece, Romania, Cyprus and Slovakia - have recognised the independence of Kosovo."
This site is obviously a mouthpiece of the very club that is ruining Western Europe right now..its apparent from the sickening blue and yellow colors to the very language that is used in their pieces.
No legitimacy in what this whole thing was about because it really seems that the Western European people have no idea whats going on at all in Kosovo.
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