“Serbs should be persuaded to remove barricades”

Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert has rejected a possibility that northern Kosovo Serbs’ requests will be discussed. He expressed hope that the Serbian authorities would be able to persuade the citizens in northern Kosovo that the barricades were not a solution. “Serbs should be persuaded to remove barricades” Degert told daily Blic that “neither solution nor will to get to a realistic solution in the current situation are visible” in the northern Kosovo Serbs’ declaration. “The situation at the barricades is unsustainable because roads have been blocked for a month,” he stressed and added that he was convinced that KFOR and EULEX would find a solution. The head of the EU Delegation to Serbia pointed out that there were contacts between all the parties involved in the process and that there were several ways out from the current situation. He believes that that it would be best to have confidence in the Serbian authorities’ will to peacefully solve the barricade issue. Degert assessed that negotiations could not be held under pressure of barricades and expressed hope that it would be possible to start the Belgrade-Pristina talks again soon. Commenting on Serbia’s chances to get the EU candidate status in December, he said that “all goals that were set before Serbia as a part of European Commission’s opinion and recommendation are achievable in the next several weeks”. Vincent Degert (FoNet, file)

“Serbs should be persuaded to remove barricades”

Degert told daily Blic that “neither solution nor will to get to a realistic solution in the current situation are visible” in the northern Kosovo Serbs’ declaration.

“The situation at the barricades is unsustainable because roads have been blocked for a month,” he stressed and added that he was convinced that KFOR and EULEX would find a solution.

The head of the EU Delegation to Serbia pointed out that there were contacts between all the parties involved in the process and that there were several ways out from the current situation.

He believes that that it would be best to have confidence in the Serbian authorities’ will to peacefully solve the barricade issue.

Degert assessed that negotiations could not be held under pressure of barricades and expressed hope that it would be possible to start the Belgrade-Priština talks again soon.

Commenting on Serbia’s chances to get the EU candidate status in December, he said that “all goals that were set before Serbia as a part of European Commission’s opinion and recommendation are achievable in the next several weeks”.