Kosovo’s partition along ethnic lines will be considered by Belgrade if all other options regarding the former province’s status have been exhausted, Serbia’s president claims.

In the first such official comment, Boris Tadic told Serbian state television late on September 29 that the partition of Kosovo, Serbia’s southern province which declared independence in February “is not on the agenda” right now, and Belgrade insists on “the broadest possible autonomy for Kosovo within Serbia.”

“I’m ready to think about that option (partition) as well if we exhaust all other numerous alternatives. There are a lot of possibilities to find a solution within substantial autonomy,” Tadic said.

“But”, he added “if we drain all choices, we can then take up that alternative (partition).”

Tadic spoke ahead of the United Nations General Assembly October 8 vote on Belgrade’s bid to seek the International Court of Justice’s opinion on the legality of Kosovo’s independence. Read more: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/13503/

Belgrade has said it hopes that in case the World Court rules in Serbia’s favour, the move would perhaps see other countries which have not yet recognised Kosovo’s independence, refrain from doing so.

Pristina moved to secede from Belgrade after several rounds of internationally brokered talks seeking a compromise had failed.

Both Pristina and many international leaders have reiterated that Kosovo’s independence, which has so far been recognised by 47 countries, including the United States and the majority of the European Union member states, is irreversible.

Although Tadic did not specify where the line of partition would run, it is most likely to include the municipalities of Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok as well as the northern half of the flashpoint town of Mitrovica.

This area in northern Kosovo is overwhelming ethnic Serb and Pristina’s influence holds little weight here.
 
However, just half of the 100 000 Serbs living in Kosovo actually live in northern areas while the rest are in isolated enclaves that dot the former province.

The international community and Pristina authorities have consistently warned that Kosovo’s partition is not acceptable and last week, a UN official pledged that “Mitrovica will be united in the same way it was done with divided Berlin.” Read more: http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/13388

Source: BalkanInsight.com