Prime minister: No progress on essential issues

BELGRADE According to Ivica Dacic, Serbian officials said in Brussels last night, "either give us the community of Serb municipalities or let's not waste any more time". The prime minister spoke after returning from the meeting at the seat of the EU, held on Monday evening. Prime minister: No progress on essential issues "This is about everyone's interest in finding a solution where Serbia will not recognize Kosovo, but for a part of powers to be transferred to the association of Serb municipalities. But that association cannot be like a civil association or the Red Cross, which only has the jurisdiction to print local papers. Does somebody think we're crazy to accept that," asked the prime minister. He added that top Serbian officials who last night met with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton presented a united front, and told her that there was "no Serb alive who could offer more" than they did. Ashton, Dacic continued, then asked to be told openly "what is possible for Serbia": "And so we said - what is possible for us is an association with its organs, assembly, president, council, and for those representatives to be elected either directly or indirectly. We are ready to compromise over its powers, but not at the expense of Serbs." "They (Kosovo Albanian representatives) are telling us in Kosovo that we cannot get anything that has executive powers. Why, if a peaceful solution is desired? If you wish such a solution, you cannot satisfy only one side, and that should be understood by the EU and the U.S. as well. And that ought to be said, and asked of the countries with which (we) signed strategic partnerships. That's what they should be asked - what makes us strategic partners, then - business only? Well that's no strategic partnership," Dacic told the news conference, and stressed: "Either give us the association of Serb municipalities, or let's not waste any more time on that subject." The reporters then wished to know what changed between last night - when President Tomislav Nikolic spoke in Brussels to announce that Pristina "had relented" in its stance - and Tuesday afternoon, when Dacic said that there was effectively no progress in the negotiations. The prime minister responded by saying that "nothing happened in the meanwhile - I'm just being realistic": "Pristina has made concessions, however, in relation to the position it held two or three meetings ago, but no on essential issues. Therefore, if there is no agreement, there is no solution." On Tuesday, Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci rejected Nikolic's statement that Pristina had given up its previous position regarding a future alliance of Serb municipalities. The next round of the EU-sponsored Kosovo dialogue, when he will once again meet with Thaci, "should be well prepared", Dacic noted, and added: "I am ready for a compromise, but Pristina is not ready to back down, because they have America's support. The deal is not up to us. Serbia has done all it could, it has nowhere else to to, and for that reason any further pressure on Serbia is worth nothing. We cannot go below this". Dacic also made a point of saying that high ranking U.S. State Department official Philip Reeker was in Brussels "whenever the dialogue was taking place". However, the prime minister said he was optimistic about Serbia's chances to be given a date for the start of its EU membership talks, but stressed that "everything now depended on whether Pristina would accept Belgrade's offered compromises". He noted that Catherine Ashton's trip to Pristina and then to Belgrade on Thursday will be "important in that sense". "If we make a balance sheet, compared to what was before this government, no one can deny that great results have been achieved in meeting the criteria of the European Council, and especially the conclusions from December 2012," Dacic also told the news conference in Belgrade. "When we talk about the most painful issue, and that is the judiciary, the Ministry of Justice was met with a good reaction in Brussels and by the Venice Commission, when it comes to their work. In this sense, when it comes to internal reforms, we do not expect any problems when it comes to meeting the requirements of the European Commission to obtain a date for (the start of) EU membership," the prime minister stated. "But when it comes to the core issue - the dialogue with Pristina - I have to say that what was seven to eight months ago impossible - the government has done its utmost to implement the agreements achieved, while protecting the red line of our interests," Dacic said. He then added that the the only new agreement reached was that on liaison officers to be posted at EU missions in Belgrade and Pristina, "while everything else was the implementation of (previously) reached agreements". "The last dialogue was led about the parallelism of institutions and the ability to find a comprehensive solution, so as not to address individual solutions," Dacic stated, recalling that the EU was asking from Serbia the implementation of agreements, freedom of action of the EU in Kosovo, resolution of issues of security structures in Kosovo, Kosovska Mitrovica judiciary, addressing the issue of transparency and funding from Serbia, as well as of telecommunications and energy. Each of these issues, Dacic said, would require several months of negotiations with an uncertain outcome - "because there is no solution for the parallelism of institutions". "That is why the president of Serbia, who initiated the raising of negotiations to a higher political level, as well as the platform based on which parliament adopted its resolution on Kosovo, proposed a method and a way to solve the parallelism of institutions, and establishment ofan association of autonomous Serb municipalities. That issue imposed itself as a basis for solving other problems and issues," said the prime minister of Serbia. During the previous dialogue, he continued, no agreement was reached on the fundamental question, which is the jurisdiction of the association. "If I could make a parallel, Pristina believes that the municipalities are the most important and that they have the powers, and we believe that it (the association) must be an organ of authority that has its own way of elections and responsibility," said Dacic. He emphasized that the relations in Kosovo and Metohija between ethnic Albanians and Serbs "are not a simple problem because if there were no problems there, the dialogue would not be conducted in the first place". But, he said, agreements cannot be reached "if they want them to be achieved only on the basis of Kosovo's laws and constitution." "It is also impossible to reach an agreement if we constantly said that it can only happen in accordance with our laws, and if we, too, do not accept the laws, " according to Dacic. "I have said on several occasions that lies should not be repeated and that Kosovo cannot be loved more by those who lie about it than by those who are talking about it rationally, and that is that the Serbian government does not have authority in much of the territory of Kosovo, just as Pristina has no authority in northern Kosovo. We will not achieve again, that should be clear too, that our rule will be restore in the entire territory of Kosovo, just as Thaci, if he wants to have absolute power in the north, can only do it with weapons," the prime minister was quoted as saying. So, he continued, Serbia is ready for an agreement, "but it has to be mutual, with the guarantee of the international community because it removes the possibility of war". "We do not do this because of a date, but to solve the Kosovo issue, and we think we deserve a date and if the EU does not understand this it will make a huge mistake. We have earned a date even without an agreement because we have made it clear that we are willing to make a deal, but the deal has to be of the kind that can be implemented on the ground." (Tanjug) B92

Prime minister: No progress on essential issues

"This is about everyone's interest in finding a solution where Serbia will not recognize Kosovo, but for a part of powers to be transferred to the association of Serb municipalities. But that association cannot be like a civil association or the Red Cross, which only has the jurisdiction to print local papers. Does somebody think we're crazy to accept that," asked the prime minister.

He added that top Serbian officials who last night met with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton presented a united front, and told her that there was "no Serb alive who could offer more" than they did.

Ashton, Dačić continued, then asked to be told openly "what is possible for Serbia":

"And so we said - what is possible for us is an association with its organs, assembly, president, council, and for those representatives to be elected either directly or indirectly. We are ready to compromise over its powers, but not at the expense of Serbs."

"They (Kosovo Albanian representatives) are telling us in Kosovo that we cannot get anything that has executive powers. Why, if a peaceful solution is desired? If you wish such a solution, you cannot satisfy only one side, and that should be understood by the EU and the U.S. as well. And that ought to be said, and asked of the countries with which (we) signed strategic partnerships. That's what they should be asked - what makes us strategic partners, then - business only? Well that's no strategic partnership," Dačić told the news conference, and stressed:

"Either give us the association of Serb municipalities, or let's not waste any more time on that subject."

The reporters then wished to know what changed between last night - when President Tomislav Nikolić spoke in Brussels to announce that Priština "had relented" in its stance - and Tuesday afternoon, when Dačić said that there was effectively no progress in the negotiations.

The prime minister responded by saying that "nothing happened in the meanwhile - I'm just being realistic":

"Priština has made concessions, however, in relation to the position it held two or three meetings ago, but no on essential issues. Therefore, if there is no agreement, there is no solution."

On Tuesday, Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci rejected Nikolić's statement that Priština had given up its previous position regarding a future alliance of Serb municipalities.

The next round of the EU-sponsored Kosovo dialogue, when he will once again meet with Thaci, "should be well prepared", Dačić noted, and added:

"I am ready for a compromise, but Priština is not ready to back down, because they have America's support. The deal is not up to us. Serbia has done all it could, it has nowhere else to to, and for that reason any further pressure on Serbia is worth nothing. We cannot go below this".

Dačić also made a point of saying that high ranking U.S. State Department official Philip Reeker was in Brussels "whenever the dialogue was taking place".

However, the prime minister said he was optimistic about Serbia's chances to be given a date for the start of its EU membership talks, but stressed that "everything now depended on whether Priština would accept Belgrade's offered compromises".

He noted that Catherine Ashton's trip to Priština and then to Belgrade on Thursday will be "important in that sense".

"If we make a balance sheet, compared to what was before this government, no one can deny that great results have been achieved in meeting the criteria of the European Council, and especially the conclusions from December 2012," Dačić also told the news conference in Belgrade.

"When we talk about the most painful issue, and that is the judiciary, the Ministry of Justice was met with a good reaction in Brussels and by the Venice Commission, when it comes to their work. In this sense, when it comes to internal reforms, we do not expect any problems when it comes to meeting the requirements of the European Commission to obtain a date for (the start of) EU membership," the prime minister stated.

"But when it comes to the core issue - the dialogue with Priština - I have to say that what was seven to eight months ago impossible - the government has done its utmost to implement the agreements achieved, while protecting the red line of our interests," Dačić said.

He then added that the the only new agreement reached was that on liaison officers to be posted at EU missions in Belgrade and Priština, "while everything else was the implementation of (previously) reached agreements".

"The last dialogue was led about the parallelism of institutions and the ability to find a comprehensive solution, so as not to address individual solutions," Dačić stated, recalling that the EU was asking from Serbia the implementation of agreements, freedom of action of the EU in Kosovo, resolution of issues of security structures in Kosovo, Kosovska Mitrovica judiciary, addressing the issue of transparency and funding from Serbia, as well as of telecommunications and energy.

Each of these issues, Dačić said, would require several months of negotiations with an uncertain outcome - "because there is no solution for the parallelism of institutions".

"That is why the president of Serbia, who initiated the raising of negotiations to a higher political level, as well as the platform based on which parliament adopted its resolution on Kosovo, proposed a method and a way to solve the parallelism of institutions, and establishment ofan association of autonomous Serb municipalities. That issue imposed itself as a basis for solving other problems and issues," said the prime minister of Serbia.

During the previous dialogue, he continued, no agreement was reached on the fundamental question, which is the jurisdiction of the association. "If I could make a parallel, Priština believes that the municipalities are the most important and that they have the powers, and we believe that it (the association) must be an organ of authority that has its own way of elections and responsibility," said Dačić.

He emphasized that the relations in Kosovo and Metohija between ethnic Albanians and Serbs "are not a simple problem because if there were no problems there, the dialogue would not be conducted in the first place".

But, he said, agreements cannot be reached "if they want them to be achieved only on the basis of Kosovo's laws and constitution."

"It is also impossible to reach an agreement if we constantly said that it can only happen in accordance with our laws, and if we, too, do not accept the laws, " according to Dačić.

"I have said on several occasions that lies should not be repeated and that Kosovo cannot be loved more by those who lie about it than by those who are talking about it rationally, and that is that the Serbian government does not have authority in much of the territory of Kosovo, just as Priština has no authority in northern Kosovo. We will not achieve again, that should be clear too, that our rule will be restore in the entire territory of Kosovo, just as Thaci, if he wants to have absolute power in the north, can only do it with weapons," the prime minister was quoted as saying.

So, he continued, Serbia is ready for an agreement, "but it has to be mutual, with the guarantee of the international community because it removes the possibility of war".

"We do not do this because of a date, but to solve the Kosovo issue, and we think we deserve a date and if the EU does not understand this it will make a huge mistake. We have earned a date even without an agreement because we have made it clear that we are willing to make a deal, but the deal has to be of the kind that can be implemented on the ground."