Britain: Serbia is Challenging EU on Kosovo

| 04 August 2008 |

Stephen Wordsworth (FoNet archive)

Belgrade _ Serbia's request that the International Court of Justice give an opinion on Kosovo’s independence is “a mistake” and “a direct challenge to the EU”, Britain’s ambassador to Serbia said.

In an interview with the Belgrade daily, Vecernje Novosti, published Sunday, Stephen Wordsworth warned the move would “only make cooperation and Serbia's integration into the European Union more difficult”.

Serbia’s Foreign Minister, Vuk Jeremic, told Belgrade’s B92 outlet on Saturday that although “some of the most powerful countries in the world will be against the ICJ initiative”, Serbia could count on support other United Nations members.

An ICJ decision would not be binding, but Jeremic said that it might “ slow down or halt the wave of recognitions”.

Wordsworth said the EU could not ask Serbia to recognise Kosovo, but described moves to try to legally annul Kosovo’s secession as “dangerously misleading”, since Kosovo has now been recognized “by most [European] Union and most UN Security Council members”.

He added, however, that “until some EU states recognise Kosovo, the EU cannot insist that Serbia does something of the kind”.

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Comments:

Pressure not to go to court
2008-08-04 22:51:37

Suppose some person wants to complain about something and decides to go to court, but some group tries to pressure that person not to do that, as that would would be a direct challenge to the authority of that group. Then that group would be engaging in a criminal act. We could be talking about a maffia group or something...

ICJ ruling on Kosovo
2008-08-05 06:14:27

Serbia has every legal right and a moral obligation to her citizens to seek legal odvice on this. How is this a challenge to the EU? Does the EU see themselves now as UNSC and able to rule on matters of internatioal law? Perhaps the EU believes that the law doesn't apply to them so their will must not be challenged.

Britain: Serbia is Challenging EU on Kosovo
2008-08-05 15:47:19

Any challenge to the self-serving, self-centred, EU is a good challenge. Although I definitely support Kosovo's independence, as Serbia opposed a Kosovo breakaway from Belgrade, Serbia has every right to contest this as long it does so peacefully. Let us be grateful that this time Serbia is contesting the situation in a peaceful manner. And let us be very disappointed that it is a British ambassador who carried this ridiculous EU message to Belgrade. If it had to be conveyed, why did not Britain let one of the Euro-obsessed nations do the deed, not Britain which until it joined the EU was the worldwide acknowledged home of liberty!

similarities
2008-08-05 19:44:15

count iblis: that's what amy winehouse's husband went to jail for...

Arrogant comments (from the British/EU envoy) dangerously misleading...
2008-08-05 22:32:12

How can a case brought to ICJ's attention by a directly involved part in a conflict be a challenge to the EU or International affairs??? As of today the majority of the world (of UN nations, international bodies and institutions etc.) still accepts the legitimacy of Serbia's efforts to protect the sovereignity of its territory. Kosovo is a complicated issue but EU actions or comments like the ones above are only misleading the debate. If Serbia is so wrong about claiming the unbreakable of its internationally recognized borders, let's let the ICJ rule against her!

THE BIGGEST JOKE OF THE WEEK
2008-08-05 23:04:46

ENGLAND IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE EU LOSING CREDIBILITY.

Serbia
2008-08-06 01:08:04

Poor Serbia, again a victim of its own machinations.

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Britain: Serbia is Challenging EU on Kosovo