Mihajlovic: Solution mostly depends on EU, USA
A solution in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue mostly depends on the European Union and the United States, Director of the Serbian Government Press Office Milivoje Mihajlovic said on Tuesday.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Tuesday, April 02, 2013
The eighth round of EU-facilitated talks between Belgrade and Pristina is under way in Brussels. The key issue of this meeting is autonomy for Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija.
In a live broadcast on Belgrade-based TV B92, Mihajlovic said that taking into account the talks to date, one gets an impression that the crisis in Kosovo suits someone's interests, that someone being major Western powers.
"If no agreement is reached today, I think that would be a major failure of the EU and the USA," Mihajlovic said.
He underlines that Pristina's ambitions to administer the Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo are equal to Belgrade's ambitions, but that is impossible, so the situation should be considered realistically.
According to Mihajlovic, if the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue fails to yield an agreement, further talks will be an imperative.
"The dialogue must not be suspended, as that would create atmosphere conducive to new incidents," Mihajlovic said.
He adds that all the three sides, especially the USA and the EU, must realize that only a just solution could lead to lasting peace and historic reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians.
"If that does not happen, we will not achieve anything" Mihajlovic said, adding that Kosovo Serbs have been living in fear for 14 years and that 140,000 Serbs live there in impossible conditions.
Mihajlovic qualified as positive the fact that Vice Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic joined the Serbian delegation for this round of talks, as Serbia thus sent a message that the government is united, and that the leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the leading party in the ruling coalition, "is an added guarantee that the agreement would be adhered to."
He says that the previous government conducted a technical dialogue, on technical issues, while this government elevated it to a higher, political level, addressing bigger issues.
In a live broadcast on Belgrade-based TV B92, Mihajlovic said that taking into account the talks to date, one gets an impression that the crisis in Kosovo suits someone's interests, that someone being major Western powers.
"If no agreement is reached today, I think that would be a major failure of the EU and the USA," Mihajlovic said.
He underlines that Pristina's ambitions to administer the Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo are equal to Belgrade's ambitions, but that is impossible, so the situation should be considered realistically.
According to Mihajlovic, if the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue fails to yield an agreement, further talks will be an imperative.
"The dialogue must not be suspended, as that would create atmosphere conducive to new incidents," Mihajlovic said.
He adds that all the three sides, especially the USA and the EU, must realize that only a just solution could lead to lasting peace and historic reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians.
"If that does not happen, we will not achieve anything" Mihajlovic said, adding that Kosovo Serbs have been living in fear for 14 years and that 140,000 Serbs live there in impossible conditions.
Mihajlovic qualified as positive the fact that Vice Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic joined the Serbian delegation for this round of talks, as Serbia thus sent a message that the government is united, and that the leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the leading party in the ruling coalition, "is an added guarantee that the agreement would be adhered to."
He says that the previous government conducted a technical dialogue, on technical issues, while this government elevated it to a higher, political level, addressing bigger issues.
