Despite pressure from western countries that have recognized Kosovo, most recently from British Foreign Minister William Hague, Serbia has insisted on such a resolution since the ICJ decision ruled in July that Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence had not violated international law. Serbia said the resolution is based on provisions from the UN Charter and the right to defend legitimate national interests.
The compromise solution was reached after consultations with many EU members states, particularly the five that have refused to recognize Kosovo's secession from Serbia, namely Spain, Greece, Romania, Cyprus and Slovakia.
"Frequent contacts with presidents and prime ministers of the five EU countries that have not recognized Kosovo, together with the work done in cooperation with all the other countries, have resulted in a compromise and a joint resolution between Serbia and the EU," said Tadic.