"Form new cabinet, open new chapter in Kosovo talks"

President Tomislav Nikolic has urged parties to form a government as soon as possible, "in order to open a whole new chapter in the Kosovo negotiations". Nikolic was a guest on an B92 TV talk show late on Sunday when he said that EU official Miroslav Lajcak told him recently that Serbia "cannot be too optimistic that (EU membership) talks could start in the fall, because they know full-well that there are some conditions that we cannot meet". "Form new cabinet, open new chapter in Kosovo talks" According to him, Lajcak also said that the Kosovo negotiations would not resume until "Serbia implements fully what has been agreed". "For that reason I insisted that he tells me what had been agreed," noted Nikolic. The president added that while the Kosovo dialogue should be raised to a higher level - this level was not presidential, "as has been misinterpreted publicly" - but rather that of prime minister. "The Constitution says it's the level of prime minister, but the Constitution also says that the government could empower the president," Nikolic asserted, and added that if "this government" did give him the jurisdiction, he would assist it. As for "opening of offices in Belgrade and Pristina" by Serbian and Kosovo Albanian authorities, Nikolic said Lajcak "had not insisted too much on the offices, but spoke about parallel institutions, and that what had been agreed so far must be implemented". He noted that two days after his election victory on May 20, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent her congratulations, "first congratulating him on his victory, the democratic elections in Serbia", and then saying that "now we will finally solve the issue of Kosovo". Noting that he also met with Clinton recently on the sidelines of a UN conference in Brazil, Nikolic stated that he told her that he would "never recognize Kosovo". "The new government must determine where the interpretations have been contentions and that must be talked about," he said of the agreements reached in the EU-sponsored dialogue, and added he was not planning to meet with Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga. Nikolic also stated that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told him that should the dialogue be raised to a higher level, "she would also take part in it". Tomislav Nikolic (Beta, file) "Distribution of posts must not be decisive" Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic voiced hope late Sunday that distribution of ministerial posts is not the key factor that could affect the forming of the new Serbian government. He told B92 TV that he sees as serious the people led by leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia Ivica Dacic who came to tell him they have a parliamentary majority, and pointed out that he is not informed about what is going on in the parties which had announced they would form the government. "I hope that the distribution of posts is not the determining factor which could affect the setting up of the government," he stressed. The Serbian president said that he has not discussed possible problems with leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Aleksandar Vucic, since, as he put it, this is not urgent, but added that he supports the SNS's position that tycoons should not decide on the formation of a government. Nikolic believes no party would let the government be formed by anyone else but those who won seats in the parliament. He also said that, while he was the leader of the SNS, certain people were under the influence of tycoons and that there are those who still are. Nikolic underlined that he discussed joining the government with Rasim Ljajic, the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia, since he appreciates his previous work and believes that representatives of minorities should be part of the government, but added that Ljajic's response was that he was on the Democratic Party's list. B92 Tanjug

"Form new cabinet, open new chapter in Kosovo talks"

According to him, Lajčak also said that the Kosovo negotiations would not resume until "Serbia implements fully what has been agreed".

"For that reason I insisted that he tells me what had been agreed," noted Nikolić.

The president added that while the Kosovo dialogue should be raised to a higher level - this level was not presidential, "as has been misinterpreted publicly" - but rather that of prime minister.

"The Constitution says it's the level of prime minister, but the Constitution also says that the government could empower the president," Nikolić asserted, and added that if "this government" did give him the jurisdiction, he would assist it.

As for "opening of offices in Belgrade and Priština" by Serbian and Kosovo Albanian authorities, Nikolić said Lajčak "had not insisted too much on the offices, but spoke about parallel institutions, and that what had been agreed so far must be implemented".

He noted that two days after his election victory on May 20, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent her congratulations, "first congratulating him on his victory, the democratic elections in Serbia", and then saying that "now we will finally solve the issue of Kosovo".

Noting that he also met with Clinton recently on the sidelines of a UN conference in Brazil, Nikolić stated that he told her that he would "never recognize Kosovo".

"The new government must determine where the interpretations have been contentions and that must be talked about," he said of the agreements reached in the EU-sponsored dialogue, and added he was not planning to meet with Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga.

Nikolić also stated that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told him that should the dialogue be raised to a higher level, "she would also take part in it".

"Distribution of posts must not be decisive"

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić voiced hope late Sunday that distribution of ministerial posts is not the key factor that could affect the forming of the new Serbian government.

He told B92 TV that he sees as serious the people led by leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia Ivica Dačić who came to tell him they have a parliamentary majority, and pointed out that he is not informed about what is going on in the parties which had announced they would form the government.

"I hope that the distribution of posts is not the determining factor which could affect the setting up of the government," he stressed.

The Serbian president said that he has not discussed possible problems with leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Aleksandar Vučić, since, as he put it, this is not urgent, but added that he supports the SNS's position that tycoons should not decide on the formation of a government.

Nikolić believes no party would let the government be formed by anyone else but those who won seats in the parliament.

He also said that, while he was the leader of the SNS, certain people were under the influence of tycoons and that there are those who still are.

Nikolić underlined that he discussed joining the government with Rasim Ljajić, the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia, since he appreciates his previous work and believes that representatives of minorities should be part of the government, but added that Ljajić's response was that he was on the Democratic Party's list.