BELGRADE -- Serbia opted to participate in the Kosovo authorities and take on responsibility and expects Serbs to be given ministerial posts, says Marko Đurić.

"Serbia has chosen to take on a considerable part of responsibility for security, economic sustainability and quality of life of the entire Serb community in the province by participating in the Kosovo government," said the director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

"Serbs in Kosovo supported the election and constitution of the new assembly of Kosovo. The direct result is that the constitutive session, for the first time since 1999, was chaired by a Serb, Milka Vulović-Leposavić, and in Serbian. It is a great thing," Đurić was quoted as telling the Belgrade-based daily Blic.

Asked whether Serb participation "involves ministerial positions," Đurić said:

"We are not concentrated on the quantity of the office, but the ability to, through it, achieve our state and national priorities."

"These are to create a community of Serb municipalities, put an end to the grabbing of Serb property in privatization attempts, strengthen the general socio-economic strength of our people, return (of IDPs), protection of the Church and the citizens," said he.

"Serbia with this goal opted for the concept of participation in the provincial government and I expect Serbs to be in ministerial positions," Đurić said, announcing that talks on this subject will be held in the coming days.