According to political analyst Dusan Janjic, arrest of Marko Djuric was security-political trigger that sped up existing preparations for negotiations in a new format, Tanjug news agency reported.

He expects this new format would include two observers, one from the USA and the other from Germany. He also added that new format in fact means more intensive talks, prepared by political negotiators, and to be “completed by presidents in several meetings.” According to Janjic this would shorten timeframe of negotiations, decrease the number of participants and enable credibility by those who are accepting and signing. Commenting on the announcements of Srpska Lista representatives, they would form the Association of Serb Municipalities independently, Janjic said that the EU has got a new problem now. “Of course the EU has got a new problem now, as they would have unilaterally established Association of Serb Municipalities within unilaterally declared Kosovo.” Meanwhile, Belgrade-based daily Danas reported that certain representatives from diplomatic cycles claim “a serious negotiation on a possible solution to the Kosovo issue” are being held in the USA, and that former USA Ambassador to Serbia Cameron Munter is involved in that process. “Parallel negotiations behind the curtains do not please the EU that is mediating in the Brussels dialogue, and Germany in particular is against that,” Danas daily went on saying. According to Danas, neither Munter nor any other participants wished to give any official or unofficial statements on the matter. Munter is also CEO of the East-West Institute and in an interview to TV N1 last year, he said the America withdrew from the Balkans over the last couple of years, which was not good. He added that the launching of internal dialogue on Kosovo is an excellent initiative and expressed hope it would be successful. Danas also said, quoting unofficial diplomatic sources that the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini during the meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic did not express concern over announcements of Srpska Lista that they would establish the Association of the Serb Municipalities on their own. “Mogherini is not concerned that official Belgrade due to the recent arrest of Marko Djuric in Mitrovica North could interrupt Brussels talks,” Danas sources claim. Brussels officials are “rather careful in assessments when it comes to heightening tensions between Belgrade and Pristina,” however, a stance that negotiations on normalization of relations would continue is dominant in Brussels.