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Zoran Djindjic on plan for solution to a crisis in southern Serbia
February 07, 2001



Belgrade, February 6 - The plan for solution to a crisis in southern Serbia, which Serbian government has supported today, offers to moderate ethnic Albanians and other ethnic communities cooperation in developing a democratic state and its inclusion into Europe, Serbian Premier Zoran Djindjic stated.

"This plan aims to isolate the extremists and terrorists, and with domestic and world public support, vigorously start curbing terrorism", he explained to journalists following the government session.

Announcing talks with ethnic Albanian community, Djindjic for the first time did not exclude the possibility of the participation of the representatives of extremists, in the talks, who are ready to give up force as a method for attaining political goals, on condition that they did not kill or commit certain criminal acts.

Djindjic explained that the proposed plan was submitted by coordinator of the Yugoslav and Serbian governments for crisis spots of southern Serbia Nebojsa Covic and recalled that under the plan, moderate ethnic Albanians would be included into the institutions of the Republic of Serbia, the entire region would be cleared of armed civilians and economic revival of the crisis area would halt the departure of the population out of economic reasons.

According to Djindjic, the government session, also discussed the fiercest attack of ethnic Albanian terrorists on Serb army and police positions in the area of the village Lucane, last night, since they invaded the ground safety zone on November 2nd.

Serbian Prime Minister said that this is an attempt by extremists to return the development of the situation towards a peaceful, political solution to confrontations, because it is clear that such a plan by Yugoslav and Serbian authorities "has international community's support".

Djindjic pointed out that resources from which terrorists drew their strength are exhausted, and these are foreign media and international support, and that, now, "left to themselves, finally became what they really are - armed gangs".

"And as armed gangs they are the object of police treatment, and no longer political problem", Djindjic underlined and added that therefore they want to politicize their presence on the ground.

In that way, as he said, they are trying to draw our forces into conflicts with the intention that "we become again the object of crisis groups and some international conferences", so that they could come back to political scene. Having reminded that "our forces have the order not to respond", Djindjic stressed that "we will try to accomplish that, because it gets the results".

Answering the question to interpret demands of ethnic Albanian political representatives from southern Serbia that the representatives of extremists who call themselves "Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja" should also participate in the agreement on solution to a crisis, Djindjic said: "We expect talks with representatives of ethnic Albanian community in southern Serbia".

That, as he explained, means, representatives of religious communities and local authority also, and our negotiating team will decide, at the spot, with who to negotiate.

Djindjic announced that representatives of local Serbs, army, police and Serb Orthodox Church would be in the negotiating team, besides Yugoslav and Serbian government's representatives.

Prime Minister reminded of his personal opinion that we should talk with all authorities or people who are "the part of the problem or solution". According to him, by the very talks, the legitimacy will not be taken away from anybody. "Our position is stronger, because our aim is legitimate, and it is establishment of peace and security for all citizens who live there".

"Extremists want to attain certain political aims by violence. We say to them, try to attain that by political means. That means, join a political system. Our position is stronger and I think that it will not be weakened, if our delegation talk with somebody who is a terrorist, Djindjic concluded.


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