Negotiator: Serbia will do "everything" for EU candidature

Serbia will do everything to become a candidate for EU membership, but will not violate its Constitution or UN Resolution 1244, says Borislav Stefanovic. Stefanovic, who heads Belgrade's negotiating team in the ongoing EU-sponsored Kosovo dialogue, spoke in Belgrade on Tuesday to say that "everything that can be done will be done to achieve the candidate status, but we will be very much careful about our national interests, the Constitution and Resolution 1244, which we will not violate". Negotiator: Serbia will do "everything" for EU candidature Asked to comment on reports in today's Albanian language media in Pristina that EU mediator Robert Cooper traveled to Kosovo in order to exert pressure on the authorities there so that an agreement on Pristina's representation to be reached, Stefanovic said he "could not make any comments", but "wished Cooper luck": "Belgrade is aware of Cooper's visit. We wish him as successful a trip as possible, with as good results as possible. The talks are being conducted with the goal of reaching a necessary deal about regional representation." The negotiator added that "it "emains to be seen what the results will be", and that consultations were ongoing "not only with Cooper, but also with other international factors". "In that sense, it will get fairly lively these days, we will have many discussions and visits with the goal of reaching an agreement on regional representation (of Pristina) and implementation of the agreements reached so far, with the goal of solving that difficult issue and improving Serbia's position in EU integrations," Stefanovic said. "We are continuing with a truly fair diplomatic activity with the goal of finding a solution, which means we could travel to Brussels soon, but, of course, there is still no date," he stated, addressing the issue of the resumption of the Kosovo talks, held in Brussels in several rounds since March of last year. According to Stefanovic, a date for the talks to resume depends on the discussions being led with representatives of the international community, while Belgrade "remains ready to resume the dialogue at any moment". In the meantime in Pristina, daily Koha Ditore wrote on Tuesday that "the Kosovo side is expected to be pressured to accept a reference to Resolution 1244" in the footnote of a formula that would allow Kosovo to be represented in regional meetings. According to the article, a concession to Pristina would be "a mention of the opinion of the International Court of Justice". The newspaper asserted that such a solution would be acceptable to Belgrade, because its demand for Resolution 1244 to be referenced would be accepted. Borislav Stefanovic (Beta, file) Beta

Negotiator: Serbia will do "everything" for EU candidature

Asked to comment on reports in today's Albanian language media in Priština that EU mediator Robert Cooper traveled to Kosovo in order to exert pressure on the authorities there so that an agreement on Priština's representation to be reached, Stefanović said he "could not make any comments", but "wished Cooper luck":

"Belgrade is aware of Cooper's visit. We wish him as successful a trip as possible, with as good results as possible. The talks are being conducted with the goal of reaching a necessary deal about regional representation."

The negotiator added that "it "emains to be seen what the results will be", and that consultations were ongoing "not only with Cooper, but also with other international factors".

"In that sense, it will get fairly lively these days, we will have many discussions and visits with the goal of reaching an agreement on regional representation (of Priština) and implementation of the agreements reached so far, with the goal of solving that difficult issue and improving Serbia's position in EU integrations," Stefanović said.

"We are continuing with a truly fair diplomatic activity with the goal of finding a solution, which means we could travel to Brussels soon, but, of course, there is still no date," he stated, addressing the issue of the resumption of the Kosovo talks, held in Brussels in several rounds since March of last year.

According to Stefanović, a date for the talks to resume depends on the discussions being led with representatives of the international community, while Belgrade "remains ready to resume the dialogue at any moment".

In the meantime in Priština, daily Koha Ditore wrote on Tuesday that "the Kosovo side is expected to be pressured to accept a reference to Resolution 1244" in the footnote of a formula that would allow Kosovo to be represented in regional meetings.

According to the article, a concession to Priština would be "a mention of the opinion of the International Court of Justice".

The newspaper asserted that such a solution would be acceptable to Belgrade, because its demand for Resolution 1244 to be referenced would be accepted.