PM urges EU to help Serbia on its European pathway

MT. KOPAONIK Serbia’s PM Ivica Dacic has called on EU member states to achieve a minimum of common interests with Serbia regarding the Kosovo issue and EU integration. At the start of Kopaonik Business Forum on Wednesday, Dacic said he believed that Serbia and EU’s joint interest was to be strategic partners in the solving of the two issues that were important for Serbia so it could become a factor of stability in the Balkans. PM urges EU to help Serbia on its European pathway “Unstable Serbia, whose people are humiliated, can become a factor of instability and we want Serbia to be a synonym for peace and security,” the prime minister pointed out. He added that Serbia was the biggest country in the region and that it had the biggest economic potential. Dacic noted that he expected proposals and solutions from more than 500 businessmen from the country and the world, ministers and representatives of the diplomatic corps that are taking part in the forum. “20, 30 years ago we were a synonym for a successful country, today we are objectively lagging behind. If we lose this opportunity, we will be for decades healing wounds that will stay for generations after us and they deserve to live like normal people,” he said. The prime minister noted that a solution for Kosovo could not be found within Kosovo’s laws and Constitution only and that it needed to be a compromise that would satisfy both sides. He told a press conference that top state officials had had a good meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton in Brussels on Monday but that no document, “aside from a menu”, had been offered to them. “Let’s not make it sound like the EU is giving some ultimatums. It is not,” Dacic pointed out. He added that essence of Serbia’s proposal had been agreed with Ashton – to form a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo. The PM added that Belgrade wanted to solve the issue but that there was no agreement on “what community will be and what it will do”. According to him, a nonstandard solution is necessary and the community would not have legislative powers but it would have powers and it is a minimum necessary for the realization of the concept. Dacic assessed that Pristina’s proposal to grant the community of Serb municipalities a status of an NGO was “frivolous”. “The talks are not easy. If there was an easy solution, we would not have the negotiations in the first place,” the prime minister said and added: “I cannot say I am an optimist. There is an opinion that Belgrade will now do anything for a date (for the start of the EU accession negotiations) but Belgrade is doing it for the sake of a sustainable solution for Kosovo, not for the sake of the date”. According to him, it is still not certain that Ashton will visit Belgrade on Thursday and it depends on results of her visit to Pristina. Dacic reiterated that no document was signed on Monday in Brussels and that if any agreement was reached, it would have to be initialed at the next meeting. Ivica Dacic (Tanjug) Beta Tanjug

PM urges EU to help Serbia on its European pathway

“Unstable Serbia, whose people are humiliated, can become a factor of instability and we want Serbia to be a synonym for peace and security,” the prime minister pointed out.

He added that Serbia was the biggest country in the region and that it had the biggest economic potential.

Dačić noted that he expected proposals and solutions from more than 500 businessmen from the country and the world, ministers and representatives of the diplomatic corps that are taking part in the forum.

“20, 30 years ago we were a synonym for a successful country, today we are objectively lagging behind. If we lose this opportunity, we will be for decades healing wounds that will stay for generations after us and they deserve to live like normal people,” he said.

The prime minister noted that a solution for Kosovo could not be found within Kosovo’s laws and Constitution only and that it needed to be a compromise that would satisfy both sides.

He told a press conference that top state officials had had a good meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton in Brussels on Monday but that no document, “aside from a menu”, had been offered to them.

“Let’s not make it sound like the EU is giving some ultimatums. It is not,” Dačić pointed out.

He added that essence of Serbia’s proposal had been agreed with Ashton – to form a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo.

The PM added that Belgrade wanted to solve the issue but that there was no agreement on “what community will be and what it will do”.

According to him, a nonstandard solution is necessary and the community would not have legislative powers but it would have powers and it is a minimum necessary for the realization of the concept.

Dačić assessed that Priština’s proposal to grant the community of Serb municipalities a status of an NGO was “frivolous”.

“The talks are not easy. If there was an easy solution, we would not have the negotiations in the first place,” the prime minister said and added:

“I cannot say I am an optimist. There is an opinion that Belgrade will now do anything for a date (for the start of the EU accession negotiations) but Belgrade is doing it for the sake of a sustainable solution for Kosovo, not for the sake of the date”.

According to him, it is still not certain that Ashton will visit Belgrade on Thursday and it depends on results of her visit to Priština.

Dačić reiterated that no document was signed on Monday in Brussels and that if any agreement was reached, it would have to be initialed at the next meeting.