Talks in Brussels resume

Hasim Taci said ahead of the meeting Pristina was willing to consider new proposals, but also that the police chain of command had to be one whole.

Unofficial sources, as well as the head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo, have hinted that Belgrade got a better offer than in the previous round.

Belgrade is insisting that the Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo be given competencies in the field of judiciary and police.

The direct talks of the delegations of Belgrade and Pristina with Ashton began at around 3:45.

Previously, Ashton held a few rounds of separate talks with the two delegations starting from 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina on the Kosovo issue mediated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton resumed in Brussels on Wednesday morning.

Ashton first had a meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci and his team, and the talks with Belgrade's delegation headed by Prime Minister Ivica Dacic kicked off at noon.

Afterwards, both delegations and Ashton will hold a joint meeting, The press was told by Ashton's spokesperson Maja Kocijancic.

Besides Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, the Belgrade delegation comprises First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Suzana Grubjesic, Presidential Adviser Marko Djuric and Director of the government's Office for Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin.

Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said ahead of his departure for Brussels that Belgrade has informed the EU about "a sufficient reason and condition" for its acceptance of the agreement with Pristina.
"Over the past few days, a few questions have been defined that Belgrade believes should be contained in the agreement so that the Serbian side could accept the document," Dacic told.

Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci stated on Wednesday ahead of the meeting with Ashton that he has arrived in Brussels with the best intentions to reach the Serbia-Kosovo agreement since it is time to end centuries of conflict.

Taci said that the agreement would not only be in the interest of Kosovo, but also Serbia and the European Union, and that it should contribute to peace and stability in the region.I hope that Serbia will work together with us in order to reach the agreement. We want to leave the past behind and move towards good neighboring relations and peace, Taci said.

On Tuesday, Ashton invited Dacic and Taci for a meeting, asking them to show a constructive spirit, and be ready to explore different options and reach a compromise.

The talks were closed after the eighth round of the dialogue in Brussels on April 2, since Pristina showed no willingness to compromise and persistently refused to approve executive competences of a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo.

Vulin: We expect much better offer

Aleksandar Vulin, member of the Belgrade team in the dialogue on Kosovo with Pristina, said Wednesday that Belgrade's negotiating team was right in deciding not to accept the draft agreement on the Kosovo north that was offered to it and that it expects to get a better offer now.

"I can say with full confidence that the decision to turn down the offer was an entirely correct one to make," Vulin told The press just before the beginning of the meeting between members of both delegations with European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

After the meeting between the Belgrade team and Ashton, it is clear we can expect a much better offer than the one we got earlier this month, said Vulin.
"Whether this will suffice to reach an agreement - we have yet to see," he added.

Vulin commented on a statement made by the head of the Kosovo delegation, Prime Minister Hasim Taci, that Pristina maintains its position that future community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo should not enjoy any executive or legislative powers.
"He will have to say this to us, too" Vulin said, adding that such statements do not contribute to the success of the dialogue.

The Brussels-based Belgrade-Pristina talks resumed Wednesday, after they were interrupted after the eighth round on April 2 as Pristina did not show any willingness to compromise and stubbornly refused to accept the establishment of a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo with executive authorities.

Ashton first met with Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci and his team and then with the Serbian delegation led by Prime Minister Ivica Dacic. The trilateral talks that are to follow will take place in the office of the EU foreign policy chief.