Pantic: EU not status neutral as mediator
Krstimir Pantic, deputy head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo, has said the European Union was not status neutral as a mediator in the talks between Belgrade and Pristina and was constantly siding with the Albanians.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Tuesday, January 22, 2013
He added the Serbs in northern Kosovo expected a meeting with the Serbian president and prime minister in order to get an explanation of the agreement on VAT and excise duty collection at the crossings.
Appearing on Radio Television of Serbia, Pantic said that during his time in Brussels where he took part in meetings with European mediators and Albanian representatives, he saw that the EU was not neutral.
"Our negotiating team is having a very hard time in Brussels, because they are not negotiating only with the Albanians, but also with the EU, which is completely on their side. The European mediators are instructing them how to act and doing everything to represent the interests of the Albanian side," said Pantic.
In a meeting mediated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton in Brussels last week, Dacic and Kosovo's Prime Minister Hasim Taci reached an agreement on provisional collection of customs duties at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings. Under this agreement, the revenue would go into a fund to be formed by the EU and to be used solely for northern Kosovo.
Pantic said local representatives from the four Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo had asked for a meeting with the Serbian president and prime minister in order to get an explanation of the agreement on VAT and excise duty collection, because they fear the Albanians will abuse it "to snatch up as much authority for themselves as possible and thus round off their independence."
"The local representatives have reason to fear that the implementation of the agreement would result in the international community saying, after establishing control of the crossing, that further talks are no longer necessary, that Kosovo has rounded off its independence, and the issue of the north's status is an internal matter of Kosovo which should be resolved by Kosovo's institutions in a conversation with its citizens," said Pantic.
A positive thing in this agreement is the plan to establish a fund which would be completely independent from Kosovo's budget, he noted.
Appearing on Radio Television of Serbia, Pantic said that during his time in Brussels where he took part in meetings with European mediators and Albanian representatives, he saw that the EU was not neutral.
"Our negotiating team is having a very hard time in Brussels, because they are not negotiating only with the Albanians, but also with the EU, which is completely on their side. The European mediators are instructing them how to act and doing everything to represent the interests of the Albanian side," said Pantic.
In a meeting mediated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton in Brussels last week, Dacic and Kosovo's Prime Minister Hasim Taci reached an agreement on provisional collection of customs duties at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings. Under this agreement, the revenue would go into a fund to be formed by the EU and to be used solely for northern Kosovo.
Pantic said local representatives from the four Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo had asked for a meeting with the Serbian president and prime minister in order to get an explanation of the agreement on VAT and excise duty collection, because they fear the Albanians will abuse it "to snatch up as much authority for themselves as possible and thus round off their independence."
"The local representatives have reason to fear that the implementation of the agreement would result in the international community saying, after establishing control of the crossing, that further talks are no longer necessary, that Kosovo has rounded off its independence, and the issue of the north's status is an internal matter of Kosovo which should be resolved by Kosovo's institutions in a conversation with its citizens," said Pantic.
A positive thing in this agreement is the plan to establish a fund which would be completely independent from Kosovo's budget, he noted.
