Although Serbia had previously opposed any attempt of replacing the UN mission with an EU one, Serb Prime Minister says that now his country will support it.

 

"We have interests in Kosovo, we have people that live there and we must improve life in Kosovo for all citizens for which we are responsible. For this reason we must participate in this reconfiguration of UNMIK, respectively in the deployment of EULEX, because we want to be part of the common cause," said Serb Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic in an interview for Serbia's daily Politika.

However, Serbia will still insist on a UN resolution to validate the end result, something which previously had been impossible because of Russia’s veto threats. "Not only to get involved, but that which we agree on at the end we will convert into a resolution that would be approved by the Security Council," stated Cvetkovic. EU officials have yet to respond to this Serb government precondition.

On the question if Serbia's engagement on the respect of territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, as was acted on towards the Moscow decision for the recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, could affect the support that Russia has provided to Serbia "on the war for the defense of Kosovo," Cvetkovic responded that "based on the information we have received Russia remains on the previous stance. So the answer is - it won't affect it."

Among Serb opposition meanwhile, Kostunica's DSS Vice President Slobodan Samardzic stated that PM Cvetkovic stance for Serbia to participate in UNMIK configuration shows the "preparation of the public opinion that Serbia is slowly beginning to recognize Kosovo independence."

"Prime Minister Cvetkovic should know that according to the Ahtisaari Plan UNMIK should be replaced by the EULEX mission, which will realize Kosovo independence, which means that Serbia participation in the reconfiguration of UNMIK denotes participation in the creation of independent Kosovo," stated ex-Serb ‘Minister for Kosovo and Metohija,’ Samardzic.