Association of municipalities proposal reviewed

Serbia's proposal is, however, not entirely clear yet, and the U.S. does not want another Republika Srpska in Kosovo, because that model has not proven itself as a good solution for the development of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kirby stated. The U.S. is interested and is reviewing the proposal, however, it is still not 100 percent clear what it means, he told reporters in Novi Pazar. The 6th round of the talks between Belgrade and Pristina facilitated by the EU was held in Brussels on Monday and it focused on the association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo. According to the daily newspaper Blic, which quoted diplomatic sources in Belgrade, Serbia's request to grant the association executive power met resistance only from the U.S., while the remaining countries of the Quint, Germany, the UK, France and Italy, see the proposal as reasonable. Washington wants a lasting solution for the differences between Belgrade and Pristina for the sake of the future, prosperity and economic development, Kirby noted. The U.S. has noticed a serious approach in the government that is trying to solve problems, and the U.S. will do everything to encourage the Serbian and Kosovo sides to continue the dialogue and reach an agreement acceptable to both sides and the people in northern Kosovo, he remarked, adding that no solution could be permanent without agreement and courage from both sides. Kirby is optimistic and hopes the talks between Belgrade and Pristina will be successful. The U.S. ambassador visited the Milkop dairy company in Raska and Novi Pazar and met with the local authorities, whom he commended on their initiatives and starting projects and offered them U.S. assistance.