Brussels talks: Association / Community of Serb Municipalities process unlocked (RTS)
With the meeting in Brussels between Pristina and Belgrade delegations, the issue of forming the Association/Community of Serb Municipalities (A/CSM) has returned to high level political dialogue. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic insisted that the statute of A/CSM should be finalized as soon as possible because it represents a means of protecting the interests of Serbs in Kosovo. Director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo Marko Djuric similarly stated that the agreement would again initiate intensive work on drafting the statute of A/CSM. However, it remains unclear what was agreed regarding next steps.
The head of European diplomacy Federica Mogherini said that the talks were held in a good atmosphere, adding that discussions involved the agreements reached so far through the dialogue; the agreement on the recognition of university diplomas and freedom of movement since 2011, the first Brussels 2013 agreement, as well as the agreement reached in August last year.
She added that the discussion was focused on the commitment of both sides to work towards the implementation of the agreement on the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb Municipalities, and on the basis of agreements signed so far. Both sides, she said, have agreed to start talks on direct flights and rail links between Kosovo and Serbia.