EU 'Can't Accept' Serbia's World Court Move

Belgrade _ The French Foreign Minister says Serbia has a right to seek a world court ruling on the legality of Kosovo’s independence but warned the EU would not fully accept it.

In a statement to Serbia’s state news agency Tanjug in Paris, Bernard Kouchner warned that “if eventually the International Court of Justice will consider the case, something I am not certain about, it would have to take into account all relevant elements.”

“Do not forget that are international agreements, the United Nations and international community stand (on the issue)… The court will take all of that into consideration. We did not make up Kosovo’s independence,” Kouchner said at the sidelines of the French envoys’ gathering.

Asked if France was considering any reaction to Serbia’s bid to get UN member states on side for a world court ruling, Kouchner argued that “just like the whole world, they (Serbia) have the right to seek an opinion.”

But he warned, “We have said that Serbia cannot ask Europe if it can join it and at the same time ask from Europe to entirely agree with the request.”

"They asked the UN General Assembly, we will see what will happen, what the answer will be,” he said, adding that “that does not change our position” regarding Kosovo.

Despite similar warnings and Belgrade’s own view that any ruling will only carry moral weight, Belgrade has launched a diplomatic offensive to get support within the UN for its draft resolution seeking the International Court of Justice’s opinion on whether Pristina’s February move to secede form Belgrade was in line with international law. Read more: http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/12398