Posted on 12/26/2007 4:21:55 AM PST by kronos77
BELGRADE (Reuters) - The Serb parliament is expected to adopt a resolution on Wednesday implicitly rejecting membership of the European Union and NATO if the West recognises the independence of Kosovo.
It has the backing of President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who lead the two main parties in Serbia's governing coalition, and is likely to win support from hardline nationalists of the opposition Radical Party as well.
It states that "all international accords that Serbia will sign, including the SAA, must be in keeping with the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country".
The SAA is the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the first treaty the EU signs with would-be members. The EU is offering Serbia a fast track to membership once Kosovo is resolved, but this resolution would bar its acceptance if the breakaway province secedes with Western backing.
Serbia is offering Kosovo's 90 percent Albanian majority broad autonomy, a separate life short of full self-determination for its two million people and with no role in Serbia. The Albanians plan to declare independence in the first months of 2008, and have broad Western support.
Serbia lost control of Kosovo in 1999 after 11 weeks of bombing by NATO forced it to withdraw its troops, ending a ruthless counter-insurgency campaign in which 10,000 civilians were killed and 800,000 driven out of the country.
REJECTS EU MISSION
"Because of the overall role of NATO ... parliament decides that Serbia will declare military neutrality when it comes to existing military alliances, until a possible referendum when the final decision would be made," the resolution states.
(Excerpt) Read more at africa.reuters.com ...
Ping!
The concept of a sovereign country has been for the most part deemed obsolete in Europe. Maybe that's a good thing. Only time will tell. However, by nature mankind is very territorial, it will be interesting to see.
If the older countries of Europe are broken up, it would be easier for a centralized regime to govern. Places like Wales, Scotland, Catalonia, and the Basque country would be less populous than the countries from which they would secede and are thus more likely to be submissive to the European Union than Britain or Spain.
“Only time will tell. However, by nature mankind is very territorial, it will be interesting to see.”
Not that many years ago down in Greece, my uncles talked about “the Europeans” and of “going to Europe”. Now my nephews and younger cousins think of themselves as thoroughly European. Greece can still be “tribal”, especially out in the countryside, but the whole “European” thing has really caught on among the educated, professional class. That attitude isn;t a good thing, in my opinion, but the fact is that Greece has really picked Western/Northern Europe’s pocket when it comes to development funds. The Greeks have made out like bandits with EU grants and it really shows, especially in infrastructure improvements and general prosperity.
Blesed Nativity to you and yours!
Are your nephews and younger cousins still Orthodox Christians, or are they “nothing” with respect to religious faith, like “Europeans”?
I’m sick of it, how the hell everything turned in this direction that the EU is the one to decide here?!
“Are your nephews and younger cousins still Orthodox Christians, or are they “nothing” with respect to religious faith, like “Europeans”?”
They are VERY Orthodox, thanks be to God!
It’s REALLY GOOD that they are Orthodox Christians!!!!
But to Eurocrats, no Orthodox Christian can be a “real European”, as I’m sure that you know.
No Christian in general.
Yes!
Roman Catholic Poland, too, has been in trouble with Brussels, over her resistance to the “gay” agenda.
But there are also Europeanized Poles, ss they are Europeanized Serbs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.