Tadic calls on UN SC to declare secession null and void

NEW YORK, Feb 18 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic requested from the UN Security Council in New York late on Monday to react urgently and annul the unilateral and illegal act of secession of Kosovo from Serbia and said that Serbia would never recognise the independence of Kosovo and give up the fight for its legitimate interests.

"We are calling upon you, the Security Council, to confirm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia, which includes Kosovo," Tadic said at UN Headquarters, addressing UN Security Council members at a special session.

"We are calling upon UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his special representative in Kosovo to use their authority. Special representative Joachim Ruecker must get clear and unequivocal instructions to use as soon as possible his authority under the Constitutional Framework for the provisional self-rule in Kosovo and to declare this act null and void," Tadic said.

The Serbian president called upon the Kosovo parliament to be dissolved because the declaration of independence is contrary to Resolution 1244. "The special representative has binding authorities and they have been used before. I demand that he does this again.

"Independence is granted as an award to those who at the beginning of the 21st century in Europe created Serbian ghetoes surrounded by barbed wire, canons and armed troops. The award comes to those who participated in the seggregation of Serbs and those who deprive them of the right to the freedom of movement, who force them to live in darkness and constant fear for their lives," Tadic said.

"If you let this illegal act become reality, you will show that law and justice do not have to be observed in the world. You will show that this body of the world organisation is unfortunately losing its authority. After this act, the world will never be the same," the Serbian president warned.

On the other hand, the Security Council may adopt a decision and avoid a precedent that would cause irreparable damage to the international order. The unilateral and illegal declaration of independence of Kosovo directly violates the first principle of the UN Charter, i.e. sovereign equality of all member-states, Tadic said.

"Here, at the UN Security Council, I want to say clearly and openly: Serbia will never recognise Kosovo's independence. We will never give up Kosovo and will never give up the fight for our legitimate interests. Kosovo will always remain Serbia for the citizens and institutions of Serbia," the Serbian president concluded.