The Chairman of the Committee on Kosovo and Metohija, Ljubomir Kragovic, convened the ninth sitting of the Committee on Kosovo and Metohija to be held on 17 February 2009 in Zvecan.

The agenda contained only one item: Briefing the Committee members on the results of the EULEX mission in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija.

Taking part in the Committee’s work, the Minister for Kosovo-Metohija, Goran Bogdanovic stated that “the incidents at the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 give us the right to doubt the EULEX mission in the part where we agreed with the UN that it will be there primarily to protect the interests of all the citizens of Kosmet, establish peace, guarantee security to all the citizens in Kosovo-Metohija and be status neutral”. Minister Bogdanovic repeated that Serbia’s attitude will depend on the mission’s future work and activities in Kosmet.

The Committee unanimously adopted the conclusions requesting that, by strong diplomatic action at international institutions, the Serbian Government call for a consistent observation of international law, prevent the violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and demand the respect of human and national rights in Kosmet.

The conclusions stress that, in line with the Serbian Constitution and the National Assembly’s declarations on Kosovo-Metohija, it is necessary to continue the diplomatic activity aimed at preventing the recognition of the illegally declared independence of Serbia’s southern province, strengthen the presence of state organs in Kosmet, speed up the economic strengthening of areas populated by Serbs and other non-Albanians.

The Committee on Kosovo and Metohija requests that the Serbian Government urgently drafts a long-term and precise strategy of sustainable survival of Serbs and other non-Albanians and return of over 200 thousand displaced persons and calls for unity and solidarity of all Serbian political and economic forces in the interest of the survival of Serbs in the Province and the struggle to keep Kosovo-Metohija within Serbia.

The Committee members forwarded an appeal to the international forces to make sure that Serbian citizens can visit their family graves without hindrance on Saturday, 21 February, All Souls’ Day.

The Committee sitting was chaired by the Chairman, Ljubomir Kragovic.

Before the sitting, attended by 14 of the 15 Committee members, the members of this assembly body, along with other National Assembly deputies who had come to Zvecan, attended the sitting of the Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of Kosovo-Metohija.