Gojko DAPCEVIC: "In Kosovo we are defending not only ourselves but the whole world"

The Day: What were the main reasons for the conflict? Could it be Belgrade's decision to cancel the region's autonomy?

G. D.: You know, there are always more questions than answers. This is only natural. However, I personally dislike the way the press elucidates the Kosovo problem in most cases. The trouble is that journalists do not use authentic sources. There is no conflict between Serbs and Albanians. There is terrorism. The Yugoslavian state protects its people, meaning Serbs, Montenegrins, Albanians, Roma (Gypsies), and other ethnic groups. Terrorists killing their fellow countrymen in Kosovo in the name of an illusionary Great Albania (which, in reality, existed only at the time of Mussolini, in 1941-43) have sponsors abroad. At that time they were supported by Nazi Germany. Today they are supported by the United States.

There are no inner causes for the Kosovo problem. We see the only reason in foreign influence. We consider any approach kindling the fire of separatism and providing advantages to a certain minority unacceptable.

The areas of Kosovo and Metohija have the same autonomy rights within Serbia as Vojvodina. We are prepared to grant Kosovo a most extensive autonomy answering all international standards. There is a university in Kosovo, also Albanian schools, about 250 newspapers are published in Albanian with a print run of some 2.5 million copies. Albanians living in Kosovo have everything they need. Yet some of them prefer not to enjoy these facilities but indulge in banditry. In other words, the state of Yugoslavia is defending its sovereign rights and territorial integrity in Kosovo. Yugoslavia is prepared to act as a guarantor the of rights of each and every resident of Kosovo and Metohija. Incidentally, the Albanians of Kosovo have for a number of years refused a census, because quite a few of them are not Yugoslavian citizens. There are over 100 humanitarian aid centers in Kosovo and the central government pays serious attention to the problem of repatriating refugees. The Union of Yugoslavia's National Assembly demands that all threats, blackmail, and pressure from outside be stopped.

Also, one must not forget the meaning of Kosovo and Metohija to Serbs. You have written that Kosovo is as important to us as Kyiv is to the Ukrainians. Serbs have lived there since the sixth century, while Albanians first settled there in the 14th century. There are over 1,800 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and historical sites in Kosovo and Metohija. Kosovo in Serbia is like Jerusalem in Israel. Pristina was the capital of an independent Serbian kingdom under King Stefan Dusan.

The Day: What happens if the Rambouillet talks fall through and NATO enters peacekeeping forces in Yugoslavia? Would the populace prefer not NATO but, say, a Ukrainian, Russian, or Belarusian force?

G. D.: We insist on a political agreement based on the equality of all citizens and ethnic communities. We want Kosovo to be free of masters and servants, whatever their name - Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Muslims, or Gypsies. Yugoslavia agreed to the main demands of the international contact group. However, we cannot put up with the intervention of any foreign armed forces in our sovereign territory, even if it comes from Ukraine. This is inadmissible in principle. We are capable of protecting ourselves against terrorists. We are not understood by those who have no history and no heart. They talk about a humanitarian disaster in Kosovo while sending us humanitarian aid in the form of bombs, aren't they? This is the philosophy of a "new world order." Now we want the UN Security Council and Washington to respect themselves in the first place. Ukraine can help us provided it comes out for banning terrorism. We reacted positively to the Ukrainian President's condemnation of terrorism and separatism in Kosovo. We want to live and die in a free country and they want us to live to the accompaniment of bomb raids as though it were Bach's music, No threats will intimidate us, for the truth, God, and our people are on our side.

The Day: What about Yugoslavia's relations with the neighboring countries in view of the Kosovo crisis?

G. D.: We have always supported the idea of good-neighborly relationships, with all countries bounding on Yugoslavia. There are eight at present, including the newly formed polities. We have signed a number of relevant treaties. We are prepared to cooperate and live in peace and accord even with Albania, this terrorist base. We used to have very good relations with Macedonia. Do you know that Albania poses the biggest threat not to us but to our Macedonian neighbor? There are more Albanians living in Skopje, the Macedonian capital, than in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, and even more than in Tirana? And quite frankly, we do not understand the expedience of stationing NATO forces on the Macedonian border.

The Day: Has it ever occurred to you that there are more words than deeds in Ukrainian-Yugoslavian relationships? How do you see the prospects and are there any aspects we may have overlooked and which remain to be used?

G. D.: Politically, Yugoslavian-Ukrainian relations deserve every praise. We will never forget that Ukraine was the first and only sovereign and independent state to receive the Yugoslavian ambassador in its capital at the time of UN sanctions. Because of these sanctions Ukraine lost some $5 billion and we lost between $150 and 160 billion. Regrettably, our economic exchanges are not at as high a level. Perhaps because the economic situation in both countries leaves much to be desired. Back in 1995 we signed an agreement on setting up an intergovernmental commission for trade, economic, and scientific cooperation. There hasn't been a single sitting. There are real cooperation opportunities in the sphere of transport, metallurgy, machine-building, electronics, chemical industry, pharmaceuticals, and shipbuilding. And of course agribusiness. Vast opportunities here. There are interesting projects of commercializing Ukrainian and Montenegrin seaports and creating free trade zones, and military-technological cooperation also sounds a good idea. If our leaders meet more often they will have enough topics to discuss. But you could have other more important strategic partners. There are ideologies poisoning people's minds. Such ideologies should be discarded. We are close to each other by history and future. We regard Kyiv as a center of Eastern Orthodox civilization. Ukraine occupies an extremely important geopolitical position, linking Western and Eastern civilizations, just like Serbia was the bridge spanning the Western and Eastern Roman Empire. History knows countless contacts between Yugoslavia and Ukraine. We must not allow anyone to drive a wedge between us, using us to someone else's advantage.

The Day: The Union Republic of Yugoslavia legislature became an observer in the Russian-Belarusian Parliamentary Union. Is this evidence of Yugoslavia's intent to eventually join this alliance?

G. D.: The Yugoslavian Parliament decided to cooperate with the Russian and Belarusian counterparts in certain aspects, so it will take part in their joint sessions as an observer. The Yugoslavian parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Premier Vojislav Seselj made a statement to this effect, so this must not create any problems for anyone.

The Day: What about Ukrainians living in Yugoslavia?

G. D.: The Ukrainian ethnic minority numbers 18-20 thousand and there is a Ukrainian journal published in Novi Sad. We have never discriminated between Ukrainians and Ruthenians. People in Yugoslavia have always treated Ukrainians in a very friendly, affectionate and respectful way. The world was saved by love, not just by beauty, and of course not by bombs.

Taking part in the round table were Milivoje LONCAREVIC, First Counselor, and Cedomir LABUS, First Secretary of the Union Republic of Yugoslavia.