Serbia got stuck due to Pristina? (Vecernje Novosti)
Implementation of Brussels agreement is pending for several months now. Serbian side is ready for dialogue but has no one to talk with since Pristina still doesn’t have the executive.
The additional problem for Serbia is announcement from Brussels that non-implementation of the Brussels agreement can stop negotiations of Serbia with the Union.
Two months after elections Kosovo still doesn’t have the executive. Blockage of institutions in Pristina is blocking and dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, whereas blockage of the dialogue could result with the blockage of accession negotiations of Serbia with the EU.
“It would be politically incorrect and it would inflict damage if anyone in the EU would try to put all damage on Serbia. We expect the process in Pristina to be over, as soon as possible. We expect that issues of property and the church are put on the agenda,” said chairperson of the Serbian parliament’s Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun.
The information that there are states which are connecting negotiation process of Serbia and European Union with the progress achieved in Brussels dialogue, was confirmed by the Minister without portfolio in charge for Euro-integrations, carried B92.
“After all these efforts and steps undertaken in the previous two years, it would not be a good message to Serbia, that it is dragged on its way to the EU due to political situation in Pristina,” said Jadranka Joksimovic.
Nenad Radicevic, Politika’s journalist, claims that Belgrade can suffer the consequences without being guilty at all due to situation in Pristina.
“If you ask the EU officials they would say that it can’t influence it, but it can. Prime ministers are not meeting, what is to say that it is not known whether Chapter 35 will be open,” assessed Radicevic.
And while talks about the implementation of the first Brussels agreement are stuck Berlin insists on the adoption of the second framework agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, so called Brussels 2.
“Any new issues, property for instance, will be Brussels 2. After it is settled, all issues which are not settled with the first agreement will be Brussels 2,3,4,5,” claims Drecun.
Due to the current situation, Serbia could be a collateral damage. Serbia can’t continue negotiations since there is no counterpart in Pristina, besides, the Ukrainian crisis is on the Brussels’ agenda. Furthermore, it was not decided who will replace Catherine Ashton in talks between Serbia and Kosovo.