In line with the current process of defining the status of Kosovo and potential repercussions in the Republic of Serbia and the region, Civic Initiatives organized a round table in Belgrade on the subject “The day after: the status of Kosovo and the position of national minorities in Serbia”. This event took place within the framework of the Foundation’s Minority Rights in Practice project. Participants came from state institutions, non-governmental and international organizations and embassies and there was an unusually large number of media representatives. Given the lack of dialogue and the poor level of public awareness about negotiations in Serbia, presentations and discussions were extremely constructive and surprisingly frank.
 
Goran Svilanović said that the Republic of Serbia is not ready to accept an independent Kosovo and viewed as positive that the Serbian Government has ceased to talk about the division of Kosovo since this could provoke a local and regional domino effect. He reproached the government for its reticence to discuss topics such as border control, the army and security. Fadil Maloku recommended the Ohrid Agreement as a model for defining the position of the Serbian minority in Kosovo. Oliver Ivanović criticized discussions centred on the status of Kosovo while everyday problems such as security, return, employment and the Constitutional framework were ignored. He emphasized the need for (separate) negotiations on decentralization in Kosovo.

In the session on the Status of Kosovo and Southern Serbia, Riza Halimi highlighted the transformation after armed riots in the region were ended, thanks to the engagement of Zoran Djindjić’s government and the Coordination Body for the South of Serbia, but said that this ended when the Prime Minister was assassinated. Mr Halimi felt that last year’s attempt to reform the Coordination Body for Southern Serbia had been a failure. He recommended greater Albanian participation in state institutions, especially in the police and judiciary, and the implementation of minority rights.

James Lyon spoke of the mention of Kosovo in the new Serbian constitution and its importance in European integration. He stressed the importance of decentralization in the implementation of minority rights in Kosovo and Serbia and underlined discrimination with respect to the allocation of budget funds in Southern Serbia. Mr Lyon said he was convinced that the South of Serbia would remain a constitutional part of Serbia.

In the session on the Status of Kosovo and Vojvodina, Aleksandar Popov argued that a parallel between Kosovo and Vojvodina could not be made. He warned that a division of Kosovo might result in further destabilization in Vojvodina and intensified separatist aspirations of the Hungarian minority in the North Bačka region. Andras Agoston said that his proposal for autonomy of the Hungarian national minority was a good model since it did not imply territorial autonomy. Zoroslav Spevak added that such minorities are responsible “big minorities”, but the keynote speaker said that these big minorities abused their power and jeopardized smaller minorities exercising their rights.

In his Round Table conclusions, Miljenko Dereta said that the division of Kosovo could provoke serious consequences in Serbia and in neighbouring countries, but that decentralization could provide a positive model for reducing tensions and improving the position of minorities in Central Serbia and Kosovo, but this would naturally require constitutional reform. He summarized comments on the need for minorities legislation at national level and greater state engagement in strategic and institutional solutions relating to the position of minorities.