Dacic: Open talks on concrete issues
Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic stated after Wednesday's talks with EU High Representative Catherine Ashton and Hasim Taci.
(KosovoCompromiseStuff) Thursday, November 08, 2012
"Serbia has embarked on further dialogue with a desire to make concrete progress between Belgrade and Pristina," Dacic told reporters on Wednesday evening after a three-hour working dinner in the seat of the European Commission.
Dacic said that a broad array of issues was tabled during the dinner from implementation of the agreement on integrated boarder management to protection of Serbian cultural heritage and construction of the Nis-Pristina highway.
"I insisted on the executive role of EULEX in north Kosovo," Dacic said, adding that they agreed to introduce integrated control by December 10 as part of a pilot project at two out of six administrative crossings.
Moreover, the talks also tabled financing of the so-called parallel institutions from the Serbian budget which, according to the opinion of the European Commission, should be transparent.
"That is not debatable - we are giving that through the budget," Dacic said, adding that information on the funds which are being allocated for Kosovo are available to everyone and that there are no secret funds.
"We are ready to discuss all issues except abolishment of Serbia's institutions in Kosovo," Dacic underlined, adding that the problem of parallel institutions can be discussed with a view to finding a solution which is acceptable for both parties.
The Serbian prime minister stated that it was agreed for the Kosovo police to form a special unit for protection of the Serbian cultural heritage, which will mostly comprise Kosovo Serbs.
Dacic also said that an agreement on the project on building Nis-Pristina highway has been reached.
"We believe this is of interest to the citizens, but the EU does not want to fund this project for now. Still, we hope we will convince them to do that before we start the realization," Dacic said.
The Serbian Prime Minister said they also discussed many other topics, including the appointment of "ground liaison officer," who will coordinate the implementation of agreements, but added there will be no office with characteristics of diplomatic missions.
"They will be contact persons with the task to realize what is in dispute, or might be in dispute," Dacic said.
He stressed that Serbia is ready to discuss the final solution for Kosovo, but that this was not the topic of last night's meeting, and added that the recognition of unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo is out of question.
"We are not here to betray our country, but to fight for it and for the interests of Serbs living in Kosovo," Dacic said.
The prime minister pointed out that the fact that Serbia has not adopted the platform on Kosovo yet is not a problem, since the meeting primarily tabled implementation of agreements reached so far, and added that Serbia entered into this dialogue with openness that would have been unthinkable until recently.
"Both the European Commission and Kosovo Albanians were surprised by our constructiveness and they do not know how to respond to proposal we are offering," Dacic said, adding that Taci also showed constructiveness.
The Serbian prime minister added that the most important result of Wednesday's meeting is that the possibility of unilateral actions on the ground has been excluded.
"It is better to have a dialogue for hundred days, or two or five years, than fight a war for a single day," Dacic concluded.
Dacic said that a broad array of issues was tabled during the dinner from implementation of the agreement on integrated boarder management to protection of Serbian cultural heritage and construction of the Nis-Pristina highway.
"I insisted on the executive role of EULEX in north Kosovo," Dacic said, adding that they agreed to introduce integrated control by December 10 as part of a pilot project at two out of six administrative crossings.
Moreover, the talks also tabled financing of the so-called parallel institutions from the Serbian budget which, according to the opinion of the European Commission, should be transparent.
"That is not debatable - we are giving that through the budget," Dacic said, adding that information on the funds which are being allocated for Kosovo are available to everyone and that there are no secret funds.
"We are ready to discuss all issues except abolishment of Serbia's institutions in Kosovo," Dacic underlined, adding that the problem of parallel institutions can be discussed with a view to finding a solution which is acceptable for both parties.
The Serbian prime minister stated that it was agreed for the Kosovo police to form a special unit for protection of the Serbian cultural heritage, which will mostly comprise Kosovo Serbs.
Dacic also said that an agreement on the project on building Nis-Pristina highway has been reached.
"We believe this is of interest to the citizens, but the EU does not want to fund this project for now. Still, we hope we will convince them to do that before we start the realization," Dacic said.
The Serbian Prime Minister said they also discussed many other topics, including the appointment of "ground liaison officer," who will coordinate the implementation of agreements, but added there will be no office with characteristics of diplomatic missions.
"They will be contact persons with the task to realize what is in dispute, or might be in dispute," Dacic said.
He stressed that Serbia is ready to discuss the final solution for Kosovo, but that this was not the topic of last night's meeting, and added that the recognition of unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo is out of question.
"We are not here to betray our country, but to fight for it and for the interests of Serbs living in Kosovo," Dacic said.
The prime minister pointed out that the fact that Serbia has not adopted the platform on Kosovo yet is not a problem, since the meeting primarily tabled implementation of agreements reached so far, and added that Serbia entered into this dialogue with openness that would have been unthinkable until recently.
"Both the European Commission and Kosovo Albanians were surprised by our constructiveness and they do not know how to respond to proposal we are offering," Dacic said, adding that Taci also showed constructiveness.
The Serbian prime minister added that the most important result of Wednesday's meeting is that the possibility of unilateral actions on the ground has been excluded.
"It is better to have a dialogue for hundred days, or two or five years, than fight a war for a single day," Dacic concluded.
