Jeremic Drums Up UN Support for ICJ Initiative

Belgrade _ Serbia’s Foreign Minister has left for New York, ahead of the September UN General Assembly, seeking support for a resolution that will ask the World Court's opinion on Kosovo’s independence.

The Foreign Ministry said Vuk Jeremic will submit the official text of Serbia’s resolution, asking the International Court of Justice, ICJ, to give its opinion on whether Kosovo's secession from Serbia was in line with international law.

"An immediate benefit for Serbia will be the fact that countries that haven’t done that so far, will not recognise Kosovo’s independence while the ICJ process is on," Jeremic said.

He added that "in the long term, the ruling, which we expect to say that the move contravenes international law, will make room for a return to negotiations".

So far, 45 countries, including the US and most European Union member states, have recognised Kosovo's independence, which authorities in Pristina declared in February. Both the government in Pristina and international officials have ruled out holding new talks with Belgrade on Kosovo's status.

It remains unclear whether Serbia will incur some negative consequences, if the ICJ gives the opinion Belgrade hopes for. Earlier this month, the British ambassador to Serbia said Belgrade was making a mistake, warning that the ICJ initiative directly challenged the EU, which Serbia wants to join. Read more: http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/12224

An ICJ opinion would also not be binding. Therefore, no state that has already recognised Kosovo's independence is expected to reverse its decision, even if the ICJ says the move was illegal.