Sejdiu: I Will Meet Tadic Anytime, Anywhere

Fatmir Sejdiu

In an interview with Croatian daily Jutarnji list, Sejdiu said that it should be an "talk between heads of state, and not some kind of negotiations on the status of Kosovo, which Belgrade constantly speaks about."

"We are an independent state," Sejdiu added.

Kosovo unilaterally proclaimed its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. Serbia, who bitterly opposes the country’s independence, took the case to the International Court of Justice, ICJ, to determine the legality of the declaration of independence. The ICJ held a hearing on the issue last December, and the judges are scheduled to deliver their opinion within the next few months.

Sejdiu stressed that Kosovo is ready to leave aside "those terrible things that have happened," all the crimes that have been committed and to speak openly about the past.

"We all have to contribute with our behaviour to the defusion of tensions in the region because the goal for everyone is peace, cooperation with neghbouring countries, development and membership in NATO and the EU," Sejdiu pointed out.

Serbia's Tadic decided not to attend the inauguration of Croatian President Ivo Josipovic because Sejdiu was present at the ceremony. Sejdu said he was sorry that Tadic didn't appear at the event, stressing that he was not to blame for the decision. "I didn't make any conditions for my presence," Sejdiu said.

According to Pristina daily Express, there is a chance that Sejdiu and Tadic may meet in March in Slovenia during a meeting of leaders of the Western Balkan countries.

When the daily's journalist said that Kosovo Serbs had hard lives, Sejdiu stressed that "a certain number of Kosovo Serbs do not want to deal with reality." He thus called on Kosovo Serbs to use their rights in order to help build a happy future for Kosovo.

Sejdiu expressed his hope that the countries that have not yet recognised Kosovo's independence, such as Russia, China, Spain, Greece and Slovakia, will change their stance. There are indications that China will recognise Kosovo, the president noted.