EU official meets with Serb mayors from north

EU official meets with Serb mayors from north

Fulemet with mayors of the Serb-dominated municipalities in the north and agreed with them that it is important to complete the drafting of the municipal statutes and create conditions for establishing of the ZSO.

"We managed to reduce the number of open unresolved issues, and we will think, consider and inform our colleagues, of course EU High Representative Catherine Ashton included, about these open issues as well and come up with some suggestions how to solve them," Fule said.

The Serb municipalities have a very important role in the implementation of the Brussels agreement reached in April last year, Fule said, adding that he will make an extra effort to help Serb municipalities do their job.

"The crucial indicator for me will not be a certain bureaucratic list of assignments, but rather the fact that people in this region live more safely and have better lives enjoying the benefits of the fact that Serbia and Kosovo are moving towards the EU," Fule said.

The commissioner " underlined that the meeting discussed a EUR 38.5 million package for support to projects in northern Kosovo, adding that an agreement has been reached to classify projects as short-term, medium-term and long-term."

"We will make an effort for the short-term projects to yield benefits for people as soon as possible, and as for other groups of projects we will set deadlines and time frameworks which would have to be respected and we will monitor their implementation," he underlined.

Fule said that the EU will strengthen the capacity of the EU House in Kosovska Mitrovica so that its employees could answer all questions that municipal officials could pose in relation to the projects and assistance from the EU funds.

His meeting with mayors of Zvečan, North Mitrovica, Leposavić, and Zubin Potok, and the meeting lasted for nearly two hours.

The meeting was attended EU Special Representative in Kosovo Samuel Žbogar and Ljubomir Marić, member of the team in charge of the ZSO formation.

The Serb representatives did not issue any statements after the meeting.