First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic stated today that the anxious reactions of Mr. Cedomir Jovanovic and Mr. Nenad Canak to the Hague Tribunal's verdict against Radovan Karadzic exonerating Slobodan Milosevic were an indicator that Serbia was not important to them, although we were all supposed to benefit from the verdict acquitting Serbia of war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

"This is why the matter at hand here is not about Milosevic, it is about Serbia. The reactions of Mr. Jovanovic and Mr. Canak are understandable, because they have built their entire political careers on the story of Milosevic's alleged war crimes and Serbia's culpability, and this is the reason why such a verdict is catastrophic for them. Jovanovic and Canak are against the acquittal of Serbia, because they have lived off the condemnation of Serbia for all these years.

Perhaps they should lodge a protest to the Hague Tribunal and demand replacement of judges, because it was them who had handed down the verdict, I only quoted it yesterday.

At least those from the West who were the makers of the "condemnation and punishment" policy for Serbia are silent, unlike certain individuals in Serbia who cannot conceal their anger and disappointment over the fact that Serbia has been acquitted of those charges.

It is interesting that Jovanovic and Canak are concerned about Milosevic's rehabilitation, but haven't commented at all on the restoration of Nazism and the Ustasha ideology in Croatia. This is understandable, since their task is to condemn Serbia. And the task of the Serbian Government is to defend Serbia, and that is the difference between us."