Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic says it is "absolutely counterproductive that some foreign ministers are sending arrogant messages to Belgrade."

Dacic, who is taking part in an informal meeting of EU and candidate countries' foreign ministers in Sofia, Bulgaria, noted on Friday that when it comes to bilateral disputes, EU's stance is "not to import instability, and to find solutions before accession."

The Serbian official, however, observed that this is a rule has not been respected so far.

A political storm in Vienna caused by the Austrian vice-chancellor's statement that Kosovo is a part of Serbia is not dying down, Tanjug is reporting.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday's session of his cabinet, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Austria was "a friend that supports the Western Balkans and is trying to contribute to the normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations."

European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic today did not want to comment the statement by Austrian Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strahe regarding the status of Kosovo, stressing that the issue of recognition concerns only the member states, reports TV Most.

Kosovo is without a doubt a part of Serbia, says Austrian Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache.

In an interview for Belgrade-based daily Politika ahead of his visit to Serbia, Strache said it would be desirable if northern Kosovo had the right to "self-determination or autonomy" - and that it would be wrong to pressure Belgrade to recognize Kosovo.

"I think that recognition of Kosovo a matter for Serbia alone. To pressure on the country because of that would be wrong," he said.

Belgrade based Tanjug news agency reports that Serbia from 2013 until now requested from the eight contracting bodies of United Nations that UNMIK reports on the application of the standards of valid conventions on the territory of Kosovo.
Director of the Office for Human and Minority Rights Suzana Paunovic said yesterday and called on the UN Human Rights Council to inspect the human rights situation in that part of territory, reports the agency.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic believes that in early spring, and in the context of internal dialogue on Kosovo, would be able to start a more serious debate, reports RTK 2 quoting Belgrade based agency Tanjug.

Vucic in Lebane, responding to journalists' questions, points out that the issue of Kosovo is very important and that it is important that people speak the truth in the internal dialogue.

Belgrade and Pristina decide about goals, pace and who participates or mediates in their dialogue about normalizing relations.

This stems from the explanation Beta received from sources in the European External Action Service (EEAS).

On the occasion of the constitutive sessions of Serb majority municipal assemblies, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric congratulated the Mayors and MA members of the Serbian List in Kosovo the beginning of their mandate and constitution of the municipal authorities, reports Tanjug.

The President of the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo Ekaterina Trendafilova says that the court will provide an impartial and fair trial to the accused, but also that it will prosecute those who try to in any way threaten the safety of victims and witnesses or exert any kind of pressure on judges, report Serbian media.

The Belgrade based daily Blic, in yesterday's edition, reported that if the US introduced Condoleezza Rice in the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, Serbia would be then suggesting Russia to enter the scene, along with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian head of diplomacy.

A source of Blic from the top of the government said that there were small chances that there would be a change in the format of the dialogue, but that Serbia will definitely not sit still.