President: Agreement likely in March

BRUSSELS Tomislav Nikolic said late on Monday that Pristina had "relented" on the issue of powers to be given to an association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo. The Serbian president also expressed his hope that Belgrade and Pristina will sign an agreement over the next ten days or so. President: Agreement likely in March “Pristina, which has so far insisted on every solution having to fit in into their legal frameworks, finally gave in,” Nikolic told a press conference after a meeting between Serbia's top officials and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. "The agreement will be signed on March 20 or March 28," said the Serbian president, adding that this might encourage the European Union to grant Serbia a date for the start of EU accession talks. Nikolic told reporters that the Serb community in Kosovo "will have its rules, its judiciary, and that it will be clear that nobody abandoned them". He added that they would be "in a way tied to Pristina which is according to us part of the territory of Serbia, about which we will pass a separate law". Asked whether a future association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo would have executive powers, Nikolic asked "what is meant by executive powers". He then added: "That association cannot pass laws, but it can make its rules within the laws, just as all states of the EU have the same laws and it is not much different there, but there are many such communities that live completely peacefully and freely," Nikolic said, and added that "Serbia is asking for such rules to be applied to the Serb community in Kosovo". A statement after the talks Catherine Ashton said they had an open and substantial discussion and reviewed progress in the dialogue so far. "We spoke in particular about the implementation of the agreements already reached and about the need to finalize discussions on the open issues, notably on northern Kosovo, in view of the next meeting of the dialogue for normalization of relations on 20 March in Brussels," said Ashton in a statement. She said that she stressed "the importance of reaching agreements on the open issues between the two sides as soon as possible". Ashton is due to travel to Pristina on March 14 for meetings with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and other Kosovo Albanian politicians. Thaci agrees to the formation of bodies of the community of Serb municipalities, but opposes executive authority, including a police force and judiciary, which Belgrade is seeking. Nikolic took part in the talks with Ashton together with Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vucic. The talks with Ashton were sincere and concrete, they addressed necessary changes to laws that the Pristina authorities had passed, but also laws of the Republic of Serbia, so as to ensure the protection for the Serb community in line with European standards, Nikolic said. The Serbian president, prime minister and vice prime minister talked with the EU's foreign policy chief over a working dinner that lasted two and a half hours. The meeting was held in Brussels on the initiative of the EU, as it had become obvious that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina got "stuck" on the issue of powers to be enjoyed by an association of Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo. The Belgrade-Pristina framework provides for two more rounds of talks between Belgrade and Pristina. On April 16, Ashton should submit a report to the Council of Ministers on the results of the dialogue. (B92) Beta Tanjug

President: Agreement likely in March

“Priština, which has so far insisted on every solution having to fit in into their legal frameworks, finally gave in,” Nikolić told a press conference after a meeting between Serbia's top officials and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

"The agreement will be signed on March 20 or March 28," said the Serbian president, adding that this might encourage the European Union to grant Serbia a date for the start of EU accession talks.

Nikolić told reporters that the Serb community in Kosovo "will have its rules, its judiciary, and that it will be clear that nobody abandoned them". He added that they would be "in a way tied to Priština which is according to us part of the territory of Serbia, about which we will pass a separate law".

Asked whether a future association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo would have executive powers, Nikolić asked "what is meant by executive powers". He then added:

"That association cannot pass laws, but it can make its rules within the laws, just as all states of the EU have the same laws and it is not much different there, but there are many such communities that live completely peacefully and freely," Nikolić said, and added that "Serbia is asking for such rules to be applied to the Serb community in Kosovo".

A statement after the talks Catherine Ashton said they had an open and substantial discussion and reviewed progress in the dialogue so far.

"We spoke in particular about the implementation of the agreements already reached and about the need to finalize discussions on the open issues, notably on northern Kosovo, in view of the next meeting of the dialogue for normalization of relations on 20 March in Brussels," said Ashton in a statement.

She said that she stressed "the importance of reaching agreements on the open issues between the two sides as soon as possible".

Ashton is due to travel to Priština on March 14 for meetings with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and other Kosovo Albanian politicians. Thaci agrees to the formation of bodies of the community of Serb municipalities, but opposes executive authority, including a police force and judiciary, which Belgrade is seeking.

Nikolić took part in the talks with Ashton together with Prime Minister Ivica Dačić and First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vučić.

The talks with Ashton were sincere and concrete, they addressed necessary changes to laws that the Priština authorities had passed, but also laws of the Republic of Serbia, so as to ensure the protection for the Serb community in line with European standards, Nikolić said.

The Serbian president, prime minister and vice prime minister talked with the EU's foreign policy chief over a working dinner that lasted two and a half hours.

The meeting was held in Brussels on the initiative of the EU, as it had become obvious that the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština got "stuck" on the issue of powers to be enjoyed by an association of Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo.

The Belgrade-Priština framework provides for two more rounds of talks between Belgrade and Priština.

On April 16, Ashton should submit a report to the Council of Ministers on the results of the dialogue.