Eighth round of talks in Brussels on Tuesday
The eighth round of the Belgrade-Pristina talks in Brussels started with a meeting between EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and the Belgrade negotiating team.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Tuesday, April 02, 2013
As Tanjug learned from unofficial sources, after the meeting with the Belgrade delegation, the High Representatives, under whose auspices the dialogue is being held, is due to confer with the Pristina representatives, which will be followed by a joint trilateral meeting.
At the moment, it is uncertain how long Tuesday's talks will last as it was indirectly said by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on Monday during a break in a meeting of Serbia's senior officials. The president said that the eighth round could last shortly, but could also be lengthy, adding that regardless of the outcome this will not be the end of the dialogue, which has to continue.
The Belgrade delegation headed by Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic this time also comprises First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, which was agreed by the top officials on Monday determining the strategy for the talks in the eight round of the dialogue with Pristina.
The Serbian negotiators in Brussels have not arrived with the final proposal, but they expect to get a better offer than in the previous round in order to pave the way to a compromise.
Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said on Monday that Belgrade will not go below the request for the citizens within the association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo-Metohija to be granted the power to decide on the judiciary and the police, and for the military presence to be excluded in the territory of the community of Serb municipalities.
For the Pristina administration, and according to Monday's statement by Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci any executive powers for the community of Serb municipalities are unacceptable, while Ashton said ahead of the eight round of the talks that it will not be easy, but that the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina is close at hand, adding that she believes that the delegations will work in the best interest of the people they are representing and for a better future for all of them.
We must not let this chance slip, Ashton concluded.
At the moment, it is uncertain how long Tuesday's talks will last as it was indirectly said by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on Monday during a break in a meeting of Serbia's senior officials. The president said that the eighth round could last shortly, but could also be lengthy, adding that regardless of the outcome this will not be the end of the dialogue, which has to continue.
The Belgrade delegation headed by Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic this time also comprises First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, which was agreed by the top officials on Monday determining the strategy for the talks in the eight round of the dialogue with Pristina.
The Serbian negotiators in Brussels have not arrived with the final proposal, but they expect to get a better offer than in the previous round in order to pave the way to a compromise.
Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said on Monday that Belgrade will not go below the request for the citizens within the association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo-Metohija to be granted the power to decide on the judiciary and the police, and for the military presence to be excluded in the territory of the community of Serb municipalities.
For the Pristina administration, and according to Monday's statement by Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci any executive powers for the community of Serb municipalities are unacceptable, while Ashton said ahead of the eight round of the talks that it will not be easy, but that the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina is close at hand, adding that she believes that the delegations will work in the best interest of the people they are representing and for a better future for all of them.
We must not let this chance slip, Ashton concluded.
