Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic accused “some European countries” of trying to prevent a quick agreement over Kosovo.

Dacic did not specify which countries he claimed are playing games because they don’t want to see Belgrade and Pristina reach an agreement quickly, adding that he does not believe the United States are playing that game.

He told reporters in Belgrade he is looking forward to a visit by a US delegation, headed by State Department official David Hale, because it will be an opportunity to pass on Serbia’s views.

Belgrade-based daily Blic writes that at this time, in Kosovo, "US interests on one hand, and those of great powers on the other" are clashing.

According to the paper, against the position of the United States stands, first and foremost, Great Britain. The United States is in favor of Belgrade and Pristina reaching an agreement, while the British, according to the newspaper, are openly working against a deal.

A protest gathering was held at midday in Mitrovica North against the tariffs Pristina introduced on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, unification of Mitrovica and seizure of Trepca, KIM Radio reports.

Protesters, including citizens, Trepca workers, students and Serb political representative said they would use all allowed means to fight for their remain and survival in Kosovo. They also conveyed a message of support to the Serbian state leadership to sustain in intentions to reach a compromise and peaceful solution to the Kosovo issue.

Member of opposition Alliance for Serbia (SzS) Dveri Movement MPs Bosko Obradovic and Marija Janusevic raised the banners saying, “No Division, No Surrender”, “You Betrayed Kosovo” and “Kosovo is Serbia” at the beginning of a meeting of the Serbian National Assembly Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, BETA news agency reported. The banners also included “One in Five Million” slogan used by the civic protests across Serbia.

The decision of Pristina institutions to send a new membership request to Interpol indicates that the latest voting there did not sober them up, Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs Nebojsa Stevanovic told Tanjug news agency.

He added, Pristina fails to realize that persistence in no way can be an argument, but only the international law and rules and procedures of this professional police organization.

US Under Secretary of State David Hale says that "there is a chance that a comprehensive solution will be achieved this year, but only if the dialogue is resumed first".

He also pointed out that this solution must contribute to long-term stability in the region.

Pristina should withdraw taxes (on goods from central Serbia) and enable dialogue with Belgrade to continue. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said this in Belgrade on Wednesday.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Conte was asked by Tanjug how Italy looks at the Pristina's current policy, "which is not ready for any concessions, constructiveness towards Belgrade, or toward the international community," and replied:

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic received in Belgrade on Wednesday Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who was on a one-day visit to Serbia. According to the Serbian Government, she "expressed the wish during the talks that economic cooperation between the two countries, as the most developed part of the overall relations, be further improved."

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte pays one-day visit to Serbia. He has been received by President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic.

For the first time since taking office, Conte is traveling to the Western Balkans, and the visit to Serbia is his first bilateral visit to a European country since the beginning of the year. A ceremonial welcome for the head of the Italian Government was organized at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport, and in front of the Palace of Serbia.

International research and data analysis company “YouGov” published a survey on EU countries’ affiliation towards the accession of Serbia and Kosovo to EU, Tanjug news agency reported.

The survey was conducted from 17 to 27 December last year, and included 8.535 respondents from seven countries Great Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, the latter not being the member of the EU.