Kosovo Serbs want written guarantees from Belgrade

Mayors of four northern Kosovo municipalities stand united in the belief that protests at Jarinje should continue until written guarantees are issued regarding the definition of an integrated crossing, Vasic told and added that the guarantees were discussed at the recent meeting between representatives of local self-governments and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Ivica Dacic.
"We need both oral and written guarantees so that we could be sure what integrated crossing means in terms of IDs, licence plates and customs services," Vasic said.

Vasic noted that Serbs expect government representatives, primarily the head of the negotiating team in the Belgrade-Pristina Dejan Pavicevic and Director of the Office for Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin, to inform them about the situation during the talks regarding the implementation of the integrated crossings.

Presidents of local self-governments from northern Kosovo sent a letter to the president and prime minister of Serbia demanding a meeting during which it would be explained what has been done in the latest negotiations with Pristina in Brussels.

The works on the integrated crossing Jarinje did not continue on Wednesday because Serbs are opposing the construction and are still protesting at the spot.

Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Krstomir Pantic said that the meeting between representatives of northern Kosovo Serbs and Serbia's top government officials would probably be staged on Thursday.

Pantic told reporters that citizens would remain in Jarinje until written guarantees are issued that their requests will be fulfilled.
We have been tricked too many times by both the international community and Albanians and this is why we are insisting that the statements voiced by Prime Minister Ivica Dacic should be written down and signed by the participants at the meeting held in Brussels late on Tuesday, Pantic said.

When we get written guarantees, we will notify councillors and conduct talks with citizens and if the guarantees are signed, there will be no reason for citizens to stay in Jarinje and prevent the implementation of the agreement because all requests will be met, Pantic said.

Nikolic and Dacic with Kosovo Serbs on Thursday

On Thursday, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Ivica Dacic will discuss the agreements reached in Brussels and then confer with representatives of Serbs in northern Kosovo, said parliament Speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic.

Stefanovic told reporters at the parliament that Nikolic informed him about tomorrow's meeting.

According to the speaker, Nikolic said that after Dacic briefs him on the talks in Brussels and after they go through the agreements together, they will inform representatives of Serbs in northern Kosovo sometime on Thursday.
In a completely open conversation, they will be able to ask the president and prime minister anything they want.

The speaker said the parliament would not stop its session, as the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) group has requested, because he believes that talks between top officials and Kosovo Serb representatives are a better way to arrive at a solution and a normal life in the southern province, while bills on the parliament's agenda are also extremely important for the people.

Asked about his expectations from the UN Security Council session on the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Stefanovic said Serbia should defend its national interests in a more efficient way.
"I think Serbia should do more to enable those convicted by the ICTY to serve their sentences in our country and should get more actively involved in the defense of those who have not been convicted yet," said Stefanovic.

Nikolic and Dacic met with the four mayors from northern Kosovo on November 28, when they promised to deliver to them the technical protocol for agreement implementation in written form, signed by Serbia and the interim authorities in Pristina.