Ivanovic: Belgrade wants mediator in talks

He assessed that the most important responsibility for the beginning of the negotiations lies with the EU and UN.
"It is hard to say when the negotiations will begin and who will determine the date," Ivanovic added. "Both sides must agree on the beginning of the negotiations, but also those who will be included," he stated.

The state secretary specified that the EU and UN hold the most responsibility for the beginning of the talks.

"In the UN we have a political framework, imposed by (UNSC) Resolution 1244, we also have a body that makes decisions. And ratio between those who have recognized the independence of Kosovo and those who don't have the intention of ever doing it is pretty balanced there," he pointed out.

"The UN has already, through Ban Ki-moon's statement, offered to help organize the dialogue," Ivanovic added and stressed that EU's Catherine Ashton had undoubtedly showed that Brussels was interested in establishing the dialogue, agreement and solution for the issue of Kosovo.

He also said that the UN and EU should take initiative "as soon as possible because the next year is pretty delicate".

The state secretary also stated that elections would be held in Kosovo in 2011 and in Serbia in 2012, although "early parliamentary elections cannot be ruled out".

"Statements of Pristina officials can only be treated as marketing, and field and platform for the beginning of the negotiations is actually being prepared," Ivanovic added.

According to him, Belgrade will try to get as much as it can for the Serb community from the talks and to find sustainable solutions in the long run.

"Those are solutions that will survive for some 20 or more years, until the moment when we will certainly, but also the Kosovo Albanians with us, be in the EU," he explained.

When asked whether Belgrade had a plan for negotiations, Ivanovic said that "readiness for a new beginning meant primarily having a clear picture that current situation was not sustainable and that we needed to find a better solution".

"At the same time we have to solve all these technical issues that are burdening people's everyday life," he stressed.

"It's only a matter of time before our highest state representatives, president of the state, the prime minister and the government, will make a decision about the team and what platform," Serbian state secretary in the Ministry for Kosovo announced.

"The team will have chance to, in the talks with the Kosovo Albanians, to come to solutions that could be acceptable for both sides," he concluded.