Director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric says that he expects Pristina to meet its obligations on the formation of the Association of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) and that Belgrade has the support of the international community for such the position.

Commenting the police cordon in Djakovica/Gjakova, that had to protect the yule log, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija assessed that it sent a bad image of inter-ethnic relations.

Why new borders are being drawn within Serbia if Europe is uniting by erasing borders between states, Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej has asked.

"I am not dealing with politics when I'm saying this but, as the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, I am contemplating further consequences of a fragmented Serbia living in a 'united' Europe. This is too serious issue to be dealt by politicians with a limited duration," the Patriarch told Vecernje Novosti daily.

The establishment of the Community/Association of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) is an imperative for a success in the further normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, Director of the Office for KiM Marko Djuric said on Tuesday, adding that Belgrade would impose additional pressure and that it would step up diplomatic activity to make it happen in 2016.

Head of the European Commission Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said that he was optimistic about the prospects of Serbia's membership in the EU, but that it's not up to him to say how long this process will last.

He says that the speed of the process depends "primarily on Serbia's ability to meet all expectations in all areas."

Davenport says that most probably chapters 25 and 26 will be closed faster (science and culture) because, as he says, Serbia has made much progress here.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told Radio Belgrade that Serbia "will do everything to, by 2018 or 2019, complete the negotiations with the EU so the organization can make a political decision on Serbia's full membership.

Dacic says that progress on all other chapters will depend on the progress made in chapter 35, which concerns normalization of relations with Pristina; he says " the problem is that it is not clear even to European Union what all implies this chapter.

“I hope that in 2016, people will live better with each other and I hope that the politicians will be wise to realize that living together is not only part of the problem, but part of the solution,” said Director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric, for Pristina daily Zeri.

Cooperation between businessmen of central Serbia and Kosovo is very important for the improvement and normalization of political relations as well as for the economic development of the region, is conclusion of the business forum of Chambers of Commerce of Serbia and Kosovo, which brought together about 150 entrepreneurs.

The current political turmoil in Pristina most directly affects the safety and hopelessness of Serbs in Kosovo, says the leader of the Serbian Resistance Movement (SPOT) Momcilo Trajkovic.

He says that it is a strategy which aims a change of government among Albanians, but also that Serbian factor disappears which is disturbing for them.

-They feel that they would be better off without Serbs – says Trajkovic.

French Ambassador to Belgrade Christine Moro said that the evaluation of EU member states on achieved results was crucial for the opening of Chapter 35. “Progress achieved in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina led to the opening of Chapter 35. However, there is still a lot of work because the agreements reached in Brussels are not completely implemented on the ground. It is therefore too early to say when this chapter will be closed and how long it will last,” said Moro.

Minister for Communities and Returns in the Kosovo government Dalibor Jevtic said tonight that the opening of the first chapters of the EU with Serbia were extremely important news for the Serbs in Kosovo.

- For those of us who live in Kosovo, opening of chapters is important, but also that everything agreed in Brussels will be implemented - he said in a statement to RTS.