[ALBSA-Info] Kostunica on independent Kosova

[Iris Pilika]

TIME: Can you envision an independent Kosovo?

Kostunica: I can envision many things. But after that picture goes another 
picture — of the Albanians in Macedonia, in southern Serbia, and in 
Montenegro and even Greece. One should be pragmatic. There are some problems 
that you can't solve — like Jerusalem.




TIME EUROPE
Monday, October 16, 2000

"This Is More Than A Velvet Revolution"
TIME's exclusive interview with Yugoslavia's President Vojislav Kostunica


Srdjan Ilic/AP


Yugoslavia's new President Vojislav Kostunica met with TIME's Andrew Purvis 
and Dejan Anastasijevic in his wood-paneled office in Belgrade's cavernous 
Federation Palace. Looking rumpled but rested in a loose gray suit, he 
discussed his views on issues ranging from war crimes to the future of 
Kosovo.

TIME: Are you concerned that the old regime will attempt a countercoup?

Kostunica: There are no chances for that. That notion is based on the idea 
that the Milosevic regime can't be beaten. But he has lost. And now his 
party is in disarray.

TIME: You have spoken about a volcano beneath the surface of Serbian 
political life in recent days. Would you explain?

Kostunica: We have had small revolutions within state enterprises. In some 
cases they were spontaneous and quite justifiable, and in some cases they 
were imported by people close to the Democratic Opposition of Serbia. I am 
not happy about it. Still it is very difficult because no one is in control 
of the police. We are not like the Czechs. This is more than a velvet 
revolution.

TIME: Should Milosevic be tried for war crimes?

Kostunica: At this moment I am not thinking about that. We are burdened by 
all sorts of difficulties concerning the social and economic situation. An 
instant trial in the Hague would endanger the very fragile democratic 
process here.

TIME: What about in the future?

Kostunica: It's possible. Quite possible. But this is more complicated than 
it's been made out. The Serbs created a cult of personality around him, but 
that cult was made stronger by the international community. Anyway, more 
important than war crimes is political responsibility before one's own 
people.

TIME: Do you agree Serbs committed war crimes in the 1990s and should be 
tried for those?

Kostunica: Yes. But war crimes were committed by all nations.

TIME: Serbs do not bear the preponderance of responsibility?

Kostunica: It's a complicated matter. If the Croatian President had not 
tried to revive the idea of a Croatian independent state, the Serbs would 
not have rebelled and Milosevic would not have had a chance to abuse that. 
And when it comes to war crimes, there were war crimes committed by nato 
last year.

TIME: Can you envision an independent Kosovo?

Kostunica: I can envision many things. But after that picture goes another 
picture — of the Albanians in Macedonia, in southern Serbia, and in 
Montenegro and even Greece. One should be pragmatic. There are some problems 
that you can't solve — like Jerusalem.

TIME: Do you have a message for the rest of the world?

Kostunica: This is something very important. It is God's will and punishment 
that we in Serbia and Montenegro are where we are. Sometimes we suffer 
because of our geopolitical position. But we are also proud. This has 
nothing to do with Milosevic. He was just abusing these sentiments. But we 
hope that the West will now understand us in that positive sense.


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