Kosovo’s President, Hashim Thaçi, said in a meeting with Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, the EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels for normalization of relations with Serbia has contributed to advancing Kosovo’s European integration as well as to consolidating Kosovo’s sovereignty in the north.
Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, has travelled to Brussels today where she will meet Angelina Eichhorst, the European External Action Service’s Director for Western Europe, Western Balkans and Turkey. The meeting will focus on Serbia’s blocking of the implementation of the telecom agreement, the independence of KOSTT and the revitalization of the Iber Bridge in Mitrovica.
Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday Serbia would continue participation in UN peacekeeping operations under his new government. Vucic said this in conversation with Assistant UN Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations El Ghassim Wane, who is visiting Belgrade, Beta reported quoting a Serbian government statement.
“One of the reasons why the Brussels negotiations, as well as the last meeting at the technical level, become meaningless and do not lead towards the interests of the Serbian community, lies in the quality of the Serbian government’s representatives who lead the talks. They, as well the local representatives and academics are passive,” considered Živorad Lazić from the Serbian national forum. “At one time, the Kingdom of Serbia hired its greatest intellectuals, such as Branislav Nušić, Milan Rakić, and academician Elezović.
The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue will be continued at expert level in Brussels on Thursday, the Serbian government Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced.
The two-day discussions will be held at the European External Action Service headquarters, with the agenda to include all open issues from past discussions between Belgrade and Pristina.
Belgrade's delegation will be headed by Marko Djurić, the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.
Authorities in Belgrade insist the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities is established in accordance to the Brussels agreement and not the Constitution of Kosovo, reported Radio Free Europe in Albanian. The agreement reached on 25 August last year as part of the dialogue for normalisation of relations between Pristina and Belgrade grants the Association/Community a level of autonomy in education, health, urban and rural planning.
The Kosovo government allocated today EUR 200,000 for the Basic Court of Mitrovica. The funds are aimed at facilitating the implementation of the Pristina-Belgrade agreement on the judiciary in the north.
Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, said that there will be no progress on the establishment of the Association/Community of the Serb-majority Municipalities if the agreements with Serbia on telecom and energy are not implemented. “We have a blockade from Serbia or a disrespecting of the agreements on the issues of Kosovo’s dial code and the independence for the energy transmission system,” said Tahiri for Ora News.
During his visit to Kosovo, the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, met also with the President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, and said during this meeting that there is still work to be done on the rule of law. Thaçi on the other hand stressed that Kosovo’s vision and goal is the European perspective.
The director of the Radio Belgrade, Milivoje Mihajlovic, said to RTS that statement of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, that Pristina would reconsider a framework of the dialogue with Belgrade because Serbia is hindering the process of Kosovo’s membership in various international organizations, presents yet another trick aimed at prevention of the creation of the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (A/CSM).