New round of talks - Vučić vs. Kurti; Borrell will present his expectations first

New round of talks - Vučić vs. Kurti; Borrell will present his expectations first

A new round of talks in Brussels is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. with bilateral meetings between the two sides with EU mediators. Prior to the meeting, the main mediator of the EU in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, will address the media with a video message in which he will state his expectations from the talks.

The European External Action Service (EEAS) announced that the EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajcak, as the second host of the meeting in Brussels, will summarize the results of the talks with a video message at around 6 p.m.

In Brussels, they say that Aleksandar Vučić and Albin Kurti "focus on the progress made so far" and agree on the next steps in the dialogue, and emphasize that the EU, as the main mediator in the dialogue, is satisfied with the continuation of the process and the dynamics of meetings of the two sides, assessing that the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and the achievement of a comprehensive legally binding agreement is a "long-term process".

"It is important that the process continues and that there is no setback," the EU said ahead of the meeting, with diplomatic sources in Brussels saying that both Belgrade and Pristina, despite opposing views and rhetoric, "know they have to compromise and reach solution".

However, when it comes to expectations from this meeting, analysts in Belgrade and Pristina do not expect any significant progress in the negotiations, and believe that it is most important for Brussels to maintain the dynamics of dialogue, and for both sides to stand firm on their demands.

After the first meeting between Vučić and Kurti held on June 15 in Brussels, the President of Serbia assessed that he agree with "Kurti" on "absolutely nothing", primarily on Kurti's request for recognition of Kosovo's independence.

Before the new meeting in Brussels, where Serbia demands the implementation of the agreement on the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, he said that he would continue to insist on preserving the state interests of Serbia, assessing that progress in dialogue is necessary, but adding that he did not know if it was possible.

"As far as Brussels is concerned, we are going in the best faith, to talk and solve specific problems, from the issue of missing persons to everything else," Vucic said. Before today's meeting in Brussels, Albin Kurti's cabinet says that Kurti will continue to insist on the proposals he presented at the first meeting, including the issues of missing persons, the signing of a peace agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, the establishment of the National Council of Serbs on Kosovo and the removal of Veljko Odalovic from the Serbian delegation for the missing persons.

The answer to whether a more serious shift is possible in the talks today in Brussels and with what will for dialogue and constructive discussion Pristina delegation is going to that meeting, may be read in the messages coming from that address every day, and the latest is yesterday's ban of Veljko Odalovic to enter Kosovo and Metohija, where he was supposed to attend the celebration of the 23rd anniversary of the mass abduction and murder of Serbs in Orahovac, planned to be marked in Velika Hoča.