Kosovo Serbs against implementation of agreement

ZVECAN Kosovska Mitrovica District Head Radenko Nedeljkovic says that political representatives of northern Kosovo Serbs have not accepted the Brussels agreement. “Our position has not changed, we have the same stance and that is that the agreement does not even guarantee the minimum of preconditions for survival and staying of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija,” he told Zvecan-based Most TV. Kosovo Serbs against implementation of agreement He said he hoped that Office for Kosovo Director Aleksandar Vulin would support their stance. “We requested his return not so we could implement the Brussels agreement but so we could continue realization of projects we started,” Nedeljkovic said and added that “the state of Serbia has stopped some financing and there is no project that is underway at the moment”. He reiterated that there were still half-built roads and buildings and that it was necessary to build regional landfills and a water supply system because “life must continue and must not stop”. “We have to work on two sides here, to create conditions for survival of citizens in these parts and to lead a peaceful, political fight to remain inside the Republic of Serbia,” Nedeljkovic pointed out. Serbia and Kosovo’s Prime Ministers Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaci last night harmonized a plan for the implementation of the Brussels agreement they initialed on April 19. Radenko Nedeljkovic (Tanjug, file) Framework agreement After the talks in Brussels on Tuesday, Ivica Dacic told reporters that the text of the framework agreement, containing notes about implementation activities and relevant deadlines, will be put to vote at a Serbian government meeting by the end of the week. The prime minister said it was important for Serbia to reach the implementation agreement before the European Council makes a decision in June about granting Serbia a date for the start of EU membership talks because it a clear signal had to be sent that both sides are ready to implement the agreement on the normalization of relations. There will be no closing of Serb institutions in Kosovo until we know what is going to happen to the people who work in them, Dacic said. According to the agreement reached last night, an interim body composed of the presidents of the four municipalities in northern Kosovo will be formed, with responsibilities that will be taken over by the Association of Serb municipalities after local elections, he explained. Among other things, this body will be authorized to prepare a statute for the association of Serb municipalities and, according to Article 9 in the agreement on normalization of relations, elect an acting regional police chief, said the Serbian prime minister. The local elections will be facilitated by the OSCE and should take place before the end of the year. In dealing with the police and the judiciary issues, Dacic said that it is necessary to make an assessment of how many people will be integrated into the structure, and it is essential that the their composition reflects the ethnic composition in Serb municipalities. Dacic pointed out that the Serb institutions will be financed in the same way as before. “We have only accepted that the funding be transparent,” the prime minister said, adding that the attitude of his team is that none of the Serbs in Kosovo should be left jobless. The first step in the plan, according to Dacic, will be to establish working group teams on both sides whose task will be to determine which legal decisions should be made in order to make sure the agreement implementation begins in time. “The deadline for legislative changes is very tight, which suits us in a way as it is in our interest that Pristina changes its laws as soon as possible,” said the Serbian prime minister, who described the two-day round of talks with Taci as a “long, difficult and very delicate” one. Dacic thanked Ashton and said that there will be more meetings with Thaci but on topics not covered by the agreement. “The topic will be the return of refugees, the missing persons, and the protection of Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo,” said the Serbian prime minister, who expressed his belief that the agreement reached is in accordance with the interests of Serbia and the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija. Beta

Kosovo Serbs against implementation of agreement

He said he hoped that Office for Kosovo Director Aleksandar Vulin would support their stance.

“We requested his return not so we could implement the Brussels agreement but so we could continue realization of projects we started,” Nedeljković said and added that “the state of Serbia has stopped some financing and there is no project that is underway at the moment”.

He reiterated that there were still half-built roads and buildings and that it was necessary to build regional landfills and a water supply system because “life must continue and must not stop”.

“We have to work on two sides here, to create conditions for survival of citizens in these parts and to lead a peaceful, political fight to remain inside the Republic of Serbia,” Nedeljković pointed out.

Serbia and Kosovo’s Prime Ministers Ivica Dačić and Hashim Thaci last night harmonized a plan for the implementation of the Brussels agreement they initialed on April 19.

Framework agreement

After the talks in Brussels on Tuesday, Ivica Dačić told reporters that the text of the framework agreement, containing notes about implementation activities and relevant deadlines, will be put to vote at a Serbian government meeting by the end of the week.

The prime minister said it was important for Serbia to reach the implementation agreement before the European Council makes a decision in June about granting Serbia a date for the start of EU membership talks because it a clear signal had to be sent that both sides are ready to implement the agreement on the normalization of relations.

There will be no closing of Serb institutions in Kosovo until we know what is going to happen to the people who work in them, Dačić said.

According to the agreement reached last night, an interim body composed of the presidents of the four municipalities in northern Kosovo will be formed, with responsibilities that will be taken over by the Association of Serb municipalities after local elections, he explained.

Among other things, this body will be authorized to prepare a statute for the association of Serb municipalities and, according to Article 9 in the agreement on normalization of relations, elect an acting regional police chief, said the Serbian prime minister.

The local elections will be facilitated by the OSCE and should take place before the end of the year.

In dealing with the police and the judiciary issues, Dačić said that it is necessary to make an assessment of how many people will be integrated into the structure, and it is essential that the their composition reflects the ethnic composition in Serb municipalities.

Dačić pointed out that the Serb institutions will be financed in the same way as before.

“We have only accepted that the funding be transparent,” the prime minister said, adding that the attitude of his team is that none of the Serbs in Kosovo should be left jobless.

The first step in the plan, according to Dačić, will be to establish working group teams on both sides whose task will be to determine which legal decisions should be made in order to make sure the agreement implementation begins in time.

“The deadline for legislative changes is very tight, which suits us in a way as it is in our interest that Priština changes its laws as soon as possible,” said the Serbian prime minister, who described the two-day round of talks with Taci as a “long, difficult and very delicate” one.

Dačić thanked Ashton and said that there will be more meetings with Thaci but on topics not covered by the agreement.

“The topic will be the return of refugees, the missing persons, and the protection of Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo,” said the Serbian prime minister, who expressed his belief that the agreement reached is in accordance with the interests of Serbia and the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija.