Clinton, Ashton encouraged dialogue,integration
Advisor to the Serbian President Marko Djuric said on Tuesday evening that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton gave the top officials in Belgrade a message of encouragement for the continuation of the dialogue with Pristina at the highest political level, and support for Serbia's EU integration.
(KosovoCompromiseStuff) Tuesday, October 30, 2012
"Taking into account the difficult topics they addressed and diametrically opposed stands on the recognition of Kosovo's independence, we can say that the talks passed in a constructive tone,"Djuric said to the Belgrade-based TV B92.
He said that Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Ivica Dacic sent a clear message that Serbia cannot be required to do something that it can never do or never want to do, and that is explicit or implicit recognition of Kosovo's independence.
Apart from that, they made it clear that Serbia is ready to work on overcoming the current situation, and improving the life of all in the province, he added.
Asked whether Serbia has been explicitly asked to abolish parallel institutions in northern Kosovo, Djuric said that Ashton and Clinton's messages were directed at encouraging the dialogue and support for the EU integration, and much less to concrete details of that kind.
The Serbian side has unequivocally shown that it is ready for talks with representatives of the interim institutions, and on the position of the Serb and other communities in Kosovo, he said.
However, no new conditions are acceptable for the Serbian side, Djuric said, explaining that the institutions that some deem parallel, the others consider legitimate, and that is the exact matter that should be addressed in the dialogue.
He said that Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Ivica Dacic sent a clear message that Serbia cannot be required to do something that it can never do or never want to do, and that is explicit or implicit recognition of Kosovo's independence.
Apart from that, they made it clear that Serbia is ready to work on overcoming the current situation, and improving the life of all in the province, he added.
Asked whether Serbia has been explicitly asked to abolish parallel institutions in northern Kosovo, Djuric said that Ashton and Clinton's messages were directed at encouraging the dialogue and support for the EU integration, and much less to concrete details of that kind.
The Serbian side has unequivocally shown that it is ready for talks with representatives of the interim institutions, and on the position of the Serb and other communities in Kosovo, he said.
However, no new conditions are acceptable for the Serbian side, Djuric said, explaining that the institutions that some deem parallel, the others consider legitimate, and that is the exact matter that should be addressed in the dialogue.
