PM: It's important to reach agreement on Dec. 13

BRUSSELS Ivica Dacic has said that it was "important that an agreement on the judiciary in northern Kosovo is reached in the next round of the dialogue." This is important, he explained, "so that Ashton's report on December 17 is positive." PM: It's important to reach agreement on Dec. 13 Partial progress was achieved during Thursday's round of the EU-mediated Kosovo dialogue, that focused on the implementation of the Brussels agreement in areas related to policing and justice. Dacic said after the meeting that he was pleased that progress has been made with regard to the police, and added that "the details that were important for Serbia have practically been harmonized." "We expect that in the next days our members will apply to work in the Kosovo police. We are pleased with the agreement we made, as it is in the interest of Serbs in Kosovo and was obtained in status-neutral negotiations. It is very important that after elections there is the implementation of the Brussels agreement, which means that the staffing in the sectors of justice and police staff will follow the ethnic composition of Kosovo," Dacic said. He, however, pointed out that there was still work to do and noted that he hoped that more progress in the dialogue would be achieved on December 13. "We have not reached the end about the judiciary, we will continue negotiations on December 13. It is important that Ashton's report on December 17 to the Committee for External Relations of the EU is positive, and we feel that because of this, the successful implementation of the Brussels agreement is important, and the results that have been achieved in terms of organizing local elections in Kosovo - to crown that with the commencement of the Intergovernmental Conference on Accession of Serbia and the EU," said Dacic. He added that the judiciary remained "the biggest issue," and explained that this concerned the manner in which courts would be set up "especially the Basic Court in Kosovska Mitrovica." "The question is how that will go, whether there will be one court or two courts, one building or two, one or more court councils, will the ethnic structure be respected, and a variety of other topics related to the field of justice," said the prime minister. On December 19 and 20 the European summit will be held in Brussels, when EU leaders will decide on a date for accession negotiations with Serbia. (Tanjug, file) "Decisive progress" EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Thursday that her talks with Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaci "covered the progress in the implementation of the remaining elements of the April agreement." In a statement after the meeting, she added that progress was made "on police and other issues." “We had a constructive discussion and made decisive progress on police and other issues. We have agreed to continue our discussions next week, on December, 13,” said the release issued by Ashton's office. “On the basis of the progress achieved I will be presenting my next report on the dialogue at the Council on December 17,” Ashton said. B92 Tanjug

PM: It's important to reach agreement on Dec. 13

Partial progress was achieved during Thursday's round of the EU-mediated Kosovo dialogue, that focused on the implementation of the Brussels agreement in areas related to policing and justice.

Dačić said after the meeting that he was pleased that progress has been made with regard to the police, and added that "the details that were important for Serbia have practically been harmonized."

"We expect that in the next days our members will apply to work in the Kosovo police. We are pleased with the agreement we made, as it is in the interest of Serbs in Kosovo and was obtained in status-neutral negotiations. It is very important that after elections there is the implementation of the Brussels agreement, which means that the staffing in the sectors of justice and police staff will follow the ethnic composition of Kosovo," Dačić said.

He, however, pointed out that there was still work to do and noted that he hoped that more progress in the dialogue would be achieved on December 13.

"We have not reached the end about the judiciary, we will continue negotiations on December 13. It is important that Ashton's report on December 17 to the Committee for External Relations of the EU is positive, and we feel that because of this, the successful implementation of the Brussels agreement is important, and the results that have been achieved in terms of organizing local elections in Kosovo - to crown that with the commencement of the Intergovernmental Conference on Accession of Serbia and the EU," said Dačić.

He added that the judiciary remained "the biggest issue," and explained that this concerned the manner in which courts would be set up "especially the Basic Court in Kosovska Mitrovica."

"The question is how that will go, whether there will be one court or two courts, one building or two, one or more court councils, will the ethnic structure be respected, and a variety of other topics related to the field of justice," said the prime minister.

On December 19 and 20 the European summit will be held in Brussels, when EU leaders will decide on a date for accession negotiations with Serbia.

"Decisive progress"

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Thursday that her talks with Ivica Dačić and Hashim Thaci "covered the progress in the implementation of the remaining elements of the April agreement."

In a statement after the meeting, she added that progress was made "on police and other issues."

“We had a constructive discussion and made decisive progress on police and other issues. We have agreed to continue our discussions next week, on December, 13,” said the release issued by Ashton's office.

“On the basis of the progress achieved I will be presenting my next report on the dialogue at the Council on December 17,” Ashton said.