PM: Political issues part of dialogue next year
Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic stated Wednesday that political issues will be opened within the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue next year, and added that Serbia is ready for talks on a sustainable solution for Kosovo.
(KosovoCompromiseStuff) Wednesday, December 05, 2012
"These talks contribute to visible progress in relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and next year we will open some political issues as well," Dacic said at Friend of Europe's forum dubbed "Balkans progress: Battling to overcome the impact of the crisis."
Dacic said while opening the meeting in Brussels that, after the acquittal of Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac and former commander of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army Ramus Haradinaj before the ICTY, regional relations have soured, especially between Serbia and Croatia.
"The Tribunal's decision does not contribute to survival of principle that all criminals should be punished," Dacic said, and added that Serbs in the ICTY have been sentenced to more years than Germans in the Nuremberg Trials.
"How can we have reconciliation if we are not ready to convict criminals," the Serbian prime minister asked.
Nonetheless, he added, better relations should be built.
"The countries of the Western Balkans have different interests and perspectives on the past and perhaps on the future as well, but we need to find what is common to us all," he pointed out.
The forum on the Balkans is organized every year by the NGO Friends of Europe.
The meeting is also attended by EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele, Director-General of the EU's Directorate-General for Enlargement Stefano Sannino, MEPs Tanja Fajon, Doris Pack and others.
According to the Serbian prime minister's office, on Wednesday, Dacic will also take part in the Global Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse Online ministerial conference.
While in Brussels, the Serbian prime minister will meet with European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin.
Dacic said while opening the meeting in Brussels that, after the acquittal of Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac and former commander of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army Ramus Haradinaj before the ICTY, regional relations have soured, especially between Serbia and Croatia.
"The Tribunal's decision does not contribute to survival of principle that all criminals should be punished," Dacic said, and added that Serbs in the ICTY have been sentenced to more years than Germans in the Nuremberg Trials.
"How can we have reconciliation if we are not ready to convict criminals," the Serbian prime minister asked.
Nonetheless, he added, better relations should be built.
"The countries of the Western Balkans have different interests and perspectives on the past and perhaps on the future as well, but we need to find what is common to us all," he pointed out.
The forum on the Balkans is organized every year by the NGO Friends of Europe.
The meeting is also attended by EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele, Director-General of the EU's Directorate-General for Enlargement Stefano Sannino, MEPs Tanja Fajon, Doris Pack and others.
According to the Serbian prime minister's office, on Wednesday, Dacic will also take part in the Global Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse Online ministerial conference.
While in Brussels, the Serbian prime minister will meet with European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin.
