No progress as northern mayors meet with president

There was no "significant progress" in the meeting with President Boris Tadic late on Sunday, said leaders of Serb municipalities from northern Kosovo. After the meeting in Belgrade, they stated that they received assurance that agreement on the deployment of Kosovo Albanian customs officers at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings was not reached on September 2 along with the agreement on customs stamps, "as EULEX Head Xavier Bout de Marnhac had claimed". No progress as northern mayors meet with president After a nearly five-hour meeting, Zubin Potok Municipal President Slavisa Ristic told journalists that "the dilemma over the deployment of Kosovo customs officers was resolved in the talks with Tadic". However, according to Ristic, the meeting did not bring any significant changes in finding the solution to the crisis in the north of the province, and the removal of barricades. Ristic said Tadic insisted that talks with KFOR and EULEX be continued, and that, in addition to KFOR, EULEX also be given a freedom of movement, provided they do not transport Kosovo customs officers. The municipal representatives will inform the people in northern Kosovo about the meeting with the president, and will decide on further actions, Ristic said, adding that Serbs will remain committed to talks and peaceful finding of solutions. The mayors leave the meeting (Tanjug) "Avoid extremism" Boris Tadic Sunday told Serb leaders from northern Kosovo that the citizens there were fully entitled to defend their legitimate interests by peaceful means, adding that they should be committed to finding sustainable solutions and should not fall for provocations and urging them to ensure freedom of movement for EULEX as soon as possible, the president's office said in a release on the same day. At a meeting in Belgrade, President Tadic and the heads of the Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo agreed that the only way to defend the interests of the Serbs was to avoid any kind of violence and extremism. The citizens need to help maintain peace and should not fall for provocations, agreed the officials. Tadic reiterated that KFOR should be provided conditions to normally provide supplies to its soldiers as soon as possible, which necessitated freedom of movement for their vehicles. He said that EULEX also should be allowed to use northern Kosovo roads, given that they were not transporting members of Pristina's institutions while doing so. Tadic told the representatives of northern Kosovo Serbs that the standpoint he had presented was directly in line with the Kumanovo military technical agreement, UNSC Resolution 1244, as well as with the UNSC approved six-point plan by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, according to the release. Tadic also called on KFOR and EULEX to refrain from taking any unilateral actions. The president stressed that Serbia wanted the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to resume as soon as possible and under the facilitation of the EU, adding that the talks were necessary in order to normalize the conditions for living in Kosovo. He stated that the dialogue had yielded an agreement on the customs stamp while not touching on the issue of control of the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings.

No progress as northern mayors meet with president

After a nearly five-hour meeting, Zubin Potok Municipal President Slaviša Ristić told journalists that "the dilemma over the deployment of Kosovo customs officers was resolved in the talks with Tadić".

However, according to Ristić, the meeting did not bring any significant changes in finding the solution to the crisis in the north of the province, and the removal of barricades.

Ristić said Tadić insisted that talks with KFOR and EULEX be continued, and that, in addition to KFOR, EULEX also be given a freedom of movement, provided they do not transport Kosovo customs officers.

The municipal representatives will inform the people in northern Kosovo about the meeting with the president, and will decide on further actions, Ristić said, adding that Serbs will remain committed to talks and peaceful finding of solutions.

"Avoid extremism"

Boris Tadić Sunday told Serb leaders from northern Kosovo that the citizens there were fully entitled to defend their legitimate interests by peaceful means, adding that they should be committed to finding sustainable solutions and should not fall for provocations and urging them to ensure freedom of movement for EULEX as soon as possible, the president's office said in a release on the same day.

At a meeting in Belgrade, President Tadić and the heads of the Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo agreed that the only way to defend the interests of the Serbs was to avoid any kind of violence and extremism.

The citizens need to help maintain peace and should not fall for provocations, agreed the officials.

Tadić reiterated that KFOR should be provided conditions to normally provide supplies to its soldiers as soon as possible, which necessitated freedom of movement for their vehicles.

He said that EULEX also should be allowed to use northern Kosovo roads, given that they were not transporting members of Pristina's institutions while doing so.

Tadić told the representatives of northern Kosovo Serbs that the standpoint he had presented was directly in line with the Kumanovo military technical agreement, UNSC Resolution 1244, as well as with the UNSC approved six-point plan by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, according to the release.

Tadić also called on KFOR and EULEX to refrain from taking any unilateral actions.

The president stressed that Serbia wanted the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to resume as soon as possible and under the facilitation of the EU, adding that the talks were necessary in order to normalize the conditions for living in Kosovo.

He stated that the dialogue had yielded an agreement on the customs stamp while not touching on the issue of control of the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings.