Dacic: Kosovo Serbs more important than start date

It migth be clearer after the talks in Brussels if it is possible to find a sustainable solution for the Serb community in Kosovo, Dacic stated. "We cannot accept anything that does not ensure the functioning and survival of the Serbs and Serb community in Kosovo," he told the daily newspaper ahead of the meeting between Serbia's top officials and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton on Monday. "Pristina rejects our proposal concerning the association of Serb municipalities, but we will not accept anything less than that. We do not agree that the Serb community should only have the right to organize stage shows and issue bulletins. We insist on executive power and we are going to state that clearly to officials in Brussels," Dacic underscored. According to Dacic, the time has come to speak openly and honestly with Serbia's European partners about the future of the country's EU integration. "Everyone should be perfectly clear that Serbia will not change its views in order to get the start date for the accession talks with the EU this summer," he stressed. "That does not in any way mean we quit on Serbia's European path," Dacic underscored, adding that Serbia absolutely deserved the start date for the accession talks.