"Serbia determined to implement Brussels agreement"

NEW YORK Prime Minister Ivica Dacic stated at the session of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Kosovo that Serbia is determined to implement the Brussels agreement. Serbia has high expectations of new meetings between teams in charge of the preparation of the plan for agreement implementation, Dacic said. "Serbia determined to implement Brussels agreement" He added that it is very important for Serbia that the talks on the agreement implementation are carried out in keeping with the will and intentions of the negotiating parties who drafted the Brussels agreement, so that the position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is clearly defined. Dacic said it is clear that a historic progress was made in the Belgrade-Pristina relations between the two UNSC sessions. Serbia expects the international community to encourage the agreement implementation and building regional stability at this historic moment, the prime minister said. Dacic said that he expects the support from UNSC member countries and the EU Council which should adopt the decision on opening Serbia's EU accession talks. The prime minister said that he also encourages the Pristina government to continue the search for a compromise and common ground to the best interests of the people and their future. Dacic underscored that the Brussels agreement is the first one of its kind which was reached between Belgrade and Pristina and the two sides are yet to conduct talks on a series of important matters, such as the status of the Serbian Orthodox Church, protection of religious and cultural sites, return of IDPs and property issues, as well as the modalities of agreement implementation. Serbia is committed to the search for a sustainable solution to the Kosovo issue, along with preservation of territorial integrity and sovereignty, he said. The prime minister underscored that it is of key importance for UNMIK troops to remain in the province in the same numbers as now, and for the cooperation with EULEX to be more efficient. The same number of UNMIK troops is of vital importance for the efforts Serbia is investing to ensure efficient system of informing UN and the UNSC as the bodies that are irreplaceable in providing legitimacy to a comprehensive solution, he said. Dacic said that the first agreement envisages that a community of municipalities with majority Serb population in Kosovo and Metohija should be set up which will have many important powers in economic development, education, healthcare and urban and rural planning. Serbia will continue taking care of its people in Kosovo and Metohija and will do its best to ensure return and sustainable living for its citizens in the area, as it believes this is the best, although the most difficult, way to overcome the legacy of the past, the prime minister said. Of all the institutions in Kosovo and Metohija, minority communities have most confidence in UNMIK and this is why the number of UNMIK members should not be reduced and should instead be reinforced because a sensitive period lies ahead in which the agreements on the important issues need to be implemented, he said. Having granted limited legal and international subjectivity and legitimacy to Pristina interim institutions, Serbia believes that the talks on top political level should be carried out without entering the sphere of the international, state and legal status issues, he said. This aims to set up authorities in the territory of the province that would be recognised by all sides involved in the process and also to provide strong legal and political guarantees on the level of the province and from the international community for political, territorial and other rights of national communities in the entire territory of the province, he said. The existence of Serb population in the province, to the south and the north of the Ibar River alike, depends on their safety and security, Dacic underscored and quoted the data on the number of attacks on Serbs from the arrival of international forces in the province, the number of Serbs that ended up injured in such incidents and the number of places that were ethnically cleansed. We especially point to the need to encourage the return which can only be done through creation of conditions for physical and economic sustainability of returnee communities in Kosovo and Metohija, Dacic said and added that the process has so far been very slow and hard to sustain. (Tanjug) Thaci wants new UN resolution and end of UNMIK Kosovo's Prime Minister Hasim Thaci asked at the UN Security Council meeting on Friday for a new resolution on Kosovo and the end of UNMIK's mandate. Also, Thaci said that after the exchange of liaison officers, "Kosovo would have a diplomatic representative in Belgrade." The Kosovo institutions are resolved to implement the Brussels agreement and expect Belgrade to fulfil the agreement, he remarked. "Kosovo expects Serbia to live up to the agreement and convince the Serbs in northern Kosovo to accept it," Thaci said at the UN Security Council meeting in New York, adding that "both Kosovo and Serbia" had to compromise. The agreement was signed "by two independent countries," and it creates an environment of cooperation and allows for Kosovo's full recognition, according to Thaci. "The agreement is in line with Kosovo's Constitution and allows for a normalization of the situation in northern Kosovo, and one of the steps will be the local elections in October this year," Thaci pointed out. He commented on the security situation in Kosovo by saying that the period covered by the latest report by the UN secretary general "had no records of incidents against the Serbian cultural heritage." Tanjug

"Serbia determined to implement Brussels agreement"

He added that it is very important for Serbia that the talks on the agreement implementation are carried out in keeping with the will and intentions of the negotiating parties who drafted the Brussels agreement, so that the position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is clearly defined.

Dačić said it is clear that a historic progress was made in the Belgrade-Priština relations between the two UNSC sessions.

Serbia expects the international community to encourage the agreement implementation and building regional stability at this historic moment, the prime minister said.

Dačić said that he expects the support from UNSC member countries and the EU Council which should adopt the decision on opening Serbia's EU accession talks.

The prime minister said that he also encourages the Priština government to continue the search for a compromise and common ground to the best interests of the people and their future.

Dačić underscored that the Brussels agreement is the first one of its kind which was reached between Belgrade and Priština and the two sides are yet to conduct talks on a series of important matters, such as the status of the Serbian Orthodox Church, protection of religious and cultural sites, return of IDPs and property issues, as well as the modalities of agreement implementation.

Serbia is committed to the search for a sustainable solution to the Kosovo issue, along with preservation of territorial integrity and sovereignty, he said.

The prime minister underscored that it is of key importance for UNMIK troops to remain in the province in the same numbers as now, and for the cooperation with EULEX to be more efficient.

The same number of UNMIK troops is of vital importance for the efforts Serbia is investing to ensure efficient system of informing UN and the UNSC as the bodies that are irreplaceable in providing legitimacy to a comprehensive solution, he said.

Dačić said that the first agreement envisages that a community of municipalities with majority Serb population in Kosovo and Metohija should be set up which will have many important powers in economic development, education, healthcare and urban and rural planning.

Serbia will continue taking care of its people in Kosovo and Metohija and will do its best to ensure return and sustainable living for its citizens in the area, as it believes this is the best, although the most difficult, way to overcome the legacy of the past, the prime minister said.

Of all the institutions in Kosovo and Metohija, minority communities have most confidence in UNMIK and this is why the number of UNMIK members should not be reduced and should instead be reinforced because a sensitive period lies ahead in which the agreements on the important issues need to be implemented, he said.

Having granted limited legal and international subjectivity and legitimacy to Priština interim institutions, Serbia believes that the talks on top political level should be carried out without entering the sphere of the international, state and legal status issues, he said.

This aims to set up authorities in the territory of the province that would be recognised by all sides involved in the process and also to provide strong legal and political guarantees on the level of the province and from the international community for political, territorial and other rights of national communities in the entire territory of the province, he said.

The existence of Serb population in the province, to the south and the north of the Ibar River alike, depends on their safety and security, Dačić underscored and quoted the data on the number of attacks on Serbs from the arrival of international forces in the province, the number of Serbs that ended up injured in such incidents and the number of places that were ethnically cleansed.

We especially point to the need to encourage the return which can only be done through creation of conditions for physical and economic sustainability of returnee communities in Kosovo and Metohija, Dačić said and added that the process has so far been very slow and hard to sustain.

Thaci wants new UN resolution and end of UNMIK

Kosovo's Prime Minister Hasim Thaci asked at the UN Security Council meeting on Friday for a new resolution on Kosovo and the end of UNMIK's mandate.

Also, Thaci said that after the exchange of liaison officers, "Kosovo would have a diplomatic representative in Belgrade."

The Kosovo institutions are resolved to implement the Brussels agreement and expect Belgrade to fulfil the agreement, he remarked.

"Kosovo expects Serbia to live up to the agreement and convince the Serbs in northern Kosovo to accept it," Thaci said at the UN Security Council meeting in New York, adding that "both Kosovo and Serbia" had to compromise.

The agreement was signed "by two independent countries," and it creates an environment of cooperation and allows for Kosovo's full recognition, according to Thaci.

"The agreement is in line with Kosovo's Constitution and allows for a normalization of the situation in northern Kosovo, and one of the steps will be the local elections in October this year," Thaci pointed out.

He commented on the security situation in Kosovo by saying that the period covered by the latest report by the UN secretary general "had no records of incidents against the Serbian cultural heritage."