Dodik: Republika Srpska to decide its status some day

BANJA LUKA, July 24 (Tanjug) - Republika Srpska (RS) Prime Minister Milorad Dodik has said that RS will have to decide its status within Bosnia-Herzegovina some day, but added that time has not come yet.

"I am certain that the day will come when Serbs will decide their fate at a referendum," Dodik noted.

He stressed that RS would remain committed to Serbia's policy on Kosovo and would never recognize the breakaway province.

ICJ failed to answer crucial questions

BERN, July 24 (Tanjug) - Swiss professor of international law Paola Gaeta does not expect any significant consequences of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence.

There will be no new recognitions for Kosovo or more attempts at secession in the world, she told the Swiss news agency SDA.

The ICJ simply answered the question of whether Kosovo's declaration of independence violated international law, but the judges said nothing about the crucial issues, like Kosovo's right to independence, said Gaeta.

She stressed that the ICJ did not say if Kosovo had the right to secede from Serbia.

According to Gaeta, the ICJ simpy established that the independence declaration was not illegal, because it was adopted by a parliament.

Kosovo's status remains the same, said Gaeta, adding that only a UN Security Council resolution could change that.

Elaborating on that, she noted that neither Russia nor China would lift their vetoes regarding Kosovo's independence.

The UN will not recognize Kosovo regardless of the debate in the UN General Assembly, Gaeta remarked.

The ICJ did not acknowledge the right to secession, thereby avoiding the danger of it being used by other separatist movements, she stated.

Gaeta feels that the only long-term solution lies in Serbia getting closer to the EU.

Bulgaria's FM: ICJ decision to facilitate dialogue

SOFIA, July 24 (Tanjug) - Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov has said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence should serve to establish a dialogue and solve problems in Kosovo.

Mladenov told Radio Bulgaria that this is a new stage in the relations between Serbia and Kosovo, in which attention should be focused on establishing a dialogue and solving problems that obstruct the lives of Serbs and other people in Kosovo.

The ICJ opinion should not represent an obstacle to Serbia's and Kosovo's European future, Mladenov noted.

He stated that Bulgaria had ratified the Stabilization and Association Agreement with Serbia, which was a very important step towards EU membership, adding that Serbia's progress towards EU integration should be top priority in the future.

The ICJ decision does not affect Bulgaria's choice to recognize Kosovo and should not be interpreted as a precedent in international law, said Mladenov.

Serbian Parliament to discuss Kosovo next week

BELGRADE, July 24 (Tanjug) - The Serbian Parliament will discuss Kosovo next week after it receives the national unity act announced by the government, Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic said Saturday.

"As soon as the government sends us the document they have announced, I will call a session. Theoretically it could happen as soon as Monday, or we could move an already scheduled session," Djukic-Dejanovic told TV B92.

The government announced an act that would establish national unity between political structures in the country in preserving Serbia's territorial integrity, but Djukic-Dejanovic said she did not know what form the document would have.

ICJ avoided answering key question

FRANKFURT, July 24 (Tanjug) - Dusan Batakovic, head of Serbia's legal team before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), thinks the ICJ decision on Kosovo's independence reflects "the balance of power in the world, seeing that the court avoided stating whether the secession was legal or illegal."

"I am not sure a different question would have changed the court's opinion," Batakovic told Vesti, a Frankfurt daily in Serbian, adding that the ICJ would have decided according to the current balance of power in the world even if the question had been different, because the court's decision did not represent a legal, unbiased opinion free of political influence.

The ICJ opinion is actually a way to avoid answering key questions that deeply affect international law, Batakovic noted.

The opinion was requested by the UN General Assembly at Serbia's initiative, so the logical next step would be a UN General Assembly discussion about the ICJ decision, says Batakovic, adding that Serbia's next move would probably be to request a political opinion and new negotiations.

"I think the strategy will be planned according to the balance of power, and if the number of countries that do not support Kosovo's independence is still more than half of those that make up the UN General Assembly, then various choices are possible," he added.

The ICJ stated that UN Security Council Resolution 1244 is still valid, which means that Kosovo is still a kind of protectorate, says Batakovic.

"All attempts at secession, self-determination or border changing ultimately depend on the political balance of power in the world and level of support the separatist movements have, which means that one case is different from the other. In that sense, the ICJ decision is less of a guideline and more of an indication of the balance of power in the world," Batakovic feels.

Peace and stability in Balkans represent top priority

ATHENS, July 24 (Tanjug) - The Greek government has expressed willingness to take any action that would help towards a compromise solution for Kosovo and stability in the Balkans after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion that Kosovo's declaration of independence did not constitute a violation of international law.

Greece's position is well known, and the preservation of peace, stability and cooperation in the Balkans is its top priority, the Greek Foreign Ministry has announced.

The announcement, posted on the ministry's website, states that those principles define the country's stand and have to be the dominant view after the ICJ decision.

The government is firmly convinced that universal respect and advocation of these principles is the surest way towards the Western Balkans' EU integration, says the announcement, adding that that is the main goal of Greece's initiative known as Agenda 2014, which is an effort to integrate the Western Balkans into the EU by 2014.

A Thursday announcement by the EU said good relations between neighbouring countries, regional cooperation and dialogue are the foundations of the EU, says the announcement.

The Greek government is already consulting with their European partners and all interested parties, the ministry states.

Greece is prepared to provide any kind of assistance in reaching a compromise that would lead to stability in the Western Balkans, the announcement reads.

Greece is one of five EU countries that have not recognized Kosovo's independence.

Italy's FM: Serbia and Kosovo must continue negotiations

ROME, July 24 (Tanjug) - Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Saturday that Serbia and Kosovo have to continue their negotiations after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion that Kosovo's declaration of independence was not a violation of international law, and he added he hoped the Council of the EU will support Serbia's membership application at their meeting on Monday.

Serbia and Kosovo should continue their talks, just as the ICJ stated, because there are many ethnic, historical, cultural and religious issues to be resolved, said Frattini, adding that there are Christian Orthodox monasteries in northern Kosovo that are a source of Serb faith. In any case, the path to follow is the European path, Frattini told La Stampa, an Italian daily.

The foreign minister stated also that Kosovo must remain a unique case, and not cause a domino effect, since that would lead to an international crisis, La Stampa reported.

EU foreign ministers to discuss Kosovo Monday

BRUSSELS, July 24 (Tanjug) - The Foreign Affairs Council of the EU will discuss Monday the situation in Kosovo and the territory's future path towards EU integration after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion that Kosovo's declaration of independence did not constitute a violation of international law.

The foreign ministers will discuss further steps and state that the ICJ opinion has begun a new stage, in which everyone should focus on the future, according to an announcement from the EU.

The ministers will also express willingness to assist in a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which would be about better cooperation, progress in European integration and improvements to everyday life in Kosovo.

The council will also review the European integration of the Western Balkans and exchange views about the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Spain's deputy PM: Spain will not recognize Kosovo

MADRID, July 24 (Tanjug) - Spain is not going to change its stand and recognize Kosovo, and it will continue calling for dialogue and compromise between Serbia and Kosovo, Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said commenting on the International Court of Justice opinion that Kosovo's declaration of independence was not in breach of international law.

The Spanish government will hold true to its view not to recognize Serbia's breakaway province as an independent country, said the deputy prime minister, stressing that her country would continue respecting UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the borders defined after the end of the war in Bosnia in 1995, www.elpais.com has reported.

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