Belgrade, 29 August 2007 – (Kosov@News) - Aleksandar Simic, the Advisor to the Serbian PM, has assessed that Slovenian support to Kosovo’s independence is endangering not only the EU policy, but also “good neighborly” relations with Serbia.

“Slovenia must not forget that it was her separatism, which started the avalanche of separatism in the former Yugoslavia,” Simic stated to Serbian Agency Tanjug, reacting to Kosovo PM Agim Ceku’s statement that he had received “guarantees” from Slovenian PM Janez Jansa that he would try to work out a united EU stand in favor of Kosovo’s independence.

In March 1989, the crisis in Yugoslavia deepened after the illegal adoption of amendments to the Serbian constitution. These amendments suspended the autonomy of Kosovo and Vojvodina. This gave Serbia voting control over three Yugoslav Federal Units (Serbia, Kosovo, Vojvodina) out of eight voting members. With Montenegro and Macedonia voting along Serbia's lines, this was unacceptable to Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia.

Slovenia and Croatia shortly after began the process towards independence. The first free elections were scheduled in Croatia and Slovenia. Defying the politicians in Belgrade, Slovenia embraced democracy and opened its society in the cultural, civic, and economic spheres to a degree almost unprecedented in the communist world.

On December 23, 1990, 88% of Slovenia's population voted for independence in a plebiscite, and on June 25, 1991, the Republic of Slovenia declared its independence.