Although EU intended to hold a new round of technical dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina this week in Brussels, Pristina delegation refused so, Tanjug news agency learnt in Brussels.
According to unofficial findings, Tanjug further said the EU has invited representatives of experts’ Belgrade and Pristina delegations to take part in a new round of talks on 7 and 8th June. The invitation foresaw primarily the talks on the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities, but also about freedom of movement, energy and integrated crossing points management,
Only one day after the invitation, according to Serbian media, negative reply from Pristina arrived.
Pristina chief negotiator Avni Arifi told Brussels, Pristina will not take part in further dialogue with Serbia, held under EU auspices, if Belgrade does not implement agreements on energy, freedom of movement, opening of the bridge in Mitrovica North, mutual recognitions of university diplomas and integrated border management.
RTS said the EU did not officially confirmed it either sent invitations or received a negative reply from Pristina.
Asked for possible continuation of a dialogue in Brussels, the European Commission briefly told Tanjug news agency that “contacts with both sides are underway.”
“We are in permanent contacts with chief negotiators from both sides. We would continue talks in Brussels as soon as possible,” EU Commission Spokesperson Carlos Martin Ruiz de Gordejuela said.
Brussels also highlighted that the talks on the implementation of already reached agreements are held in parallel with a new phase of dialogue on normalization of relations.
Tanjug also unofficially learned that at least one round of a dialogue at the highest political level, in already existing format between President Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci, is expected to take place before a summer break.
In addition to Pristina’s refusal to take part in technical dialogue and submit a report on drafting the Statute of the Association/Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities, additional obstacle to the continuation of a dialogue is a lack of consensus in the Kosovo Assembly over the mandate of Hashim Thaci to lead Pristina in a new phase of dialogue that should lead to a full normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations, Serbian media said.
