Minister: Negotiations by year’s end

Belgrade wants negotiations with Pristina and historical reconciliation of Serbs and Albanians as soon as possible, says Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic. He has stated that the status of Kosovo will be inevitably discussed. Minister: Negotiations by year’s end “It is well-known that Belgrade wants the negotiations to begin as soon as possible and to reach a compromise and historical reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians,” he pointed out. The minister also stated that the initial talks between Belgrade and Pristina could begin by the end of the year. However, he expects more serious talks to take place after the new Kosovo government has been formed. Bogdanovic has stated that Serbia has adopted a platform for the negotiations but that he cannot give any details other that it is based on the Constitution and laws. “At the moment I can only tell you who will lead the team and who will be on it. It is very important that these are competent people, ready, that we have formed a logistics headquarters in the ministry, we’ve been preparing intensively, we have a large database and people who are ready to be at team’s service 24 hours a day,” he explained. The minister for Kosovo added that Kosovo Serbs would also be on the Serbia’s team and that they would be actively involved in the work of all working groups and talks on issues which concerned the people in the field. “People who are familiar with the situation in Kosovo and Metohija will be on the team. It’s not important to us which party they are from, what their political orientation is, but that they can deal with certain things – energy, telecommunications, missing persons, environment,” he stressed. “It’s important to us that the dialogue begins as soon as possible. Of course, all issues will be covered, there are no taboos, it’s well-known that the status is not solved as far as Serbia is concerned and it is inevitable that this issue will be on the agenda,” Bogdanovic pointed out. When asked whether Pristina could end the talks if this issue was brought up, he said that Kosovo authorities were not even ready to talk about everyday issues. “For the past two months Pristina has been doing everything in order to postpone the dialogue for as long as possible. I think times have changed, that Pristina and a part of the international community which supported Pristina, are aware that there has to be a dialogue,“ the Kosovo minister explained. According to him, it is not true that the dialogue with Pristina means indirect recognition of Kosovo's unilateraly declared independence. “It's very devastating for all of us, not only in Kosovo but in the entire Serbia, not to allow and oppose sitting down with the other side and solving everyday problems that are primarily burdening the Serbian community and going toward talks about the status of Kosovo as well,“ Bogdanovic explained. “We must do everything in order for the dialogue and compromise to take place, to promote dialogue and that's why we have decided to go from easier issues to more difficult ones in order to achieve some result. Nobody should be proud of empty talk, scoring of cheap political points by using Kosovo for daily political purposes,“ he concluded. Goran Bogdanovic (Tanjug)

Minister: Negotiations by year’s end

“It is well-known that Belgrade wants the negotiations to begin as soon as possible and to reach a compromise and historical reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians,” he pointed out.

The minister also stated that the initial talks between Belgrade and Priština could begin by the end of the year. However, he expects more serious talks to take place after the new Kosovo government has been formed.

Bogdanović has stated that Serbia has adopted a platform for the negotiations but that he cannot give any details other that it is based on the Constitution and laws.

“At the moment I can only tell you who will lead the team and who will be on it. It is very important that these are competent people, ready, that we have formed a logistics headquarters in the ministry, we’ve been preparing intensively, we have a large database and people who are ready to be at team’s service 24 hours a day,” he explained.

The minister for Kosovo added that Kosovo Serbs would also be on the Serbia’s team and that they would be actively involved in the work of all working groups and talks on issues which concerned the people in the field.

“People who are familiar with the situation in Kosovo and Metohija will be on the team. It’s not important to us which party they are from, what their political orientation is, but that they can deal with certain things – energy, telecommunications, missing persons, environment,” he stressed.

“It’s important to us that the dialogue begins as soon as possible. Of course, all issues will be covered, there are no taboos, it’s well-known that the status is not solved as far as Serbia is concerned and it is inevitable that this issue will be on the agenda,” Bogdanović pointed out.

When asked whether Priština could end the talks if this issue was brought up, he said that Kosovo authorities were not even ready to talk about everyday issues.

“For the past two months Priština has been doing everything in order to postpone the dialogue for as long as possible. I think times have changed, that Priština and a part of the international community which supported Priština, are aware that there has to be a dialogue,“ the Kosovo minister explained.

According to him, it is not true that the dialogue with Priština means indirect recognition of Kosovo's unilateraly declared independence.

“It's very devastating for all of us, not only in Kosovo but in the entire Serbia, not to allow and oppose sitting down with the other side and solving everyday problems that are primarily burdening the Serbian community and going toward talks about the status of Kosovo as well,“ Bogdanović explained.

“We must do everything in order for the dialogue and compromise to take place, to promote dialogue and that's why we have decided to go from easier issues to more difficult ones in order to achieve some result. Nobody should be proud of empty talk, scoring of cheap political points by using Kosovo for daily political purposes,“ he concluded.