Covic: No one will make a decision about Kosovo without the citizens, and that means a referendum

The former head of the Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija, Nebojsa Covic, pointed out that the meeting of the Western "five" with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, represented the established pressure of international envoys on Serbia.

Covic points out for RTS that international negotiators play the card of secrecy when it comes to what is specifically being negotiated and requested, while Vucic goes in the order – Government then Parliament.

Commenting on the reaction of the opposition, from the request for an urgent session of the Assembly to the proposal to urgently accept the Franco-German proposal for the solution of the Kosovo issue, Covic says that instead of mutual accusations, there should be elementary unity on the Kosovo issue.

"Kosovo is not a subject for quarrel, because it harms national interests. In any case, no one will make a decision without the citizens, and that means a referendum, and the fact that international negotiators are in a hurry is their problem," Covic emphasized.

Here we have a game of a good and a bad cop explains Covic and adds that the USA is currently good, while on the other side, we have the tough attitude of Germany.

"They are threatening Serbia, but they cannot implement what they are guarantors for. They are only interested in the form, but how much it will threaten us as a nation, and what consequences it will have, they are not interested at all. You should implement something that was agreed upon as far back as 2013 and that is not being done, and on the other hand, you are putting pressure on Serbia to recognize some kind of independence of Kosovo," Covic says.

As for the Franco-German proposal, Covic says that it violates the Constitution of Serbia and Resolution 1244.

"They think that in this way they will erase the brutal act of 1999 when they brutally bombed us and stole part of our territory," Covic said.

When it comes to possible consequences if Serbia does not accept the demands, Covic says that he is not Eurosceptic, but not at all costs.

"Not at the price of someone taking a part of the territory from us. We are part of Europe and as much as we need Europe, it also needs us. The expansion system is uncertain, it almost doesn't exist, and no roses are blooming there either." Covic said.

As he stated, we had entered a long-term process of changes at the global level.

"The world is changing, which is why we have to preserve our sovereignty and integrity," Covic added.