Ambassadors Not To Be Recalled

[Jasmina]

Interview with Vuk Jeremic 14.07.2008

’Election of new Serbia Government shall not cause change of foreign policy priorities’, new-old Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic says for ‘Blic’. He calls the state foreign policy as the ‘policy of continuity’ pointing out that the new Government shall have the identical priorities as the previous ones.
‘These priorities are speeding up European integration processes, preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, regional cooperation and modernization of our diplomacy’, Jeremic says.
According to his words there shall also be certain changes in the field of security integration processes, in the first place those related to Serbia’s participation in the program ‘Partnership for Peace’.
Q: Does it mean that Security agreement with the NATO is going to be signed?
‘The parliamentary procedure has to be unlocked and ratification of numerous international agreements is ahead of us. The membership in the NATO is not in the list of the Government’s priorities’.
Q: You mentioned reform of the Foreign Ministry. Does it understand personnel changes among the ambassadors?
‘There shall be no political recalls, in other words, the fact that the new Government has been elected shall in no way influence personnel changes. The reform we have in mind should prepare our ministry to cope with the foreign policy challenges that are ahead of our country’.
Q: Many posts are still empty and there are also the ambassadors whose mandates are expiring. Who shall take those posts since there are new partners in power, such as the SPS?
‘Many new ambassadors are to be appointed and the basic criterion for their appointment shall be expert capabilities and not political orientation’.
Q: Will the SPS members be also among them. Was that a topic during negotiations over the new government?
‘That was not a topic at all’.
Q: When shall the ambassadors recalled from the countries that recognized Kosovo be returned to their posts?
‘The action plan adopted by previous government is still in force but we shall carefully follow development of the situation and react adequately’.
Q: Your first visit after re-appointment to the duty of the Foreign Minister was to Montenegro. Although you thanked Podgorica for restraining, will that country recognize Kosovo in the end?
‘I do not expect that Podgorica shall change its present stance’.

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