Crossings deal will help Serbs, official claims

BELGRADE Belgrade team chief in the technical dialogue with Pristina Dejan Pavicevic says preparations for the implementation of the crossings agreement are underway. He told Tanjug that he had discussed the procedure aimed at making the transportation of people and good easier at a last meeting in Brussels. Crossings deal will help Serbs, official claims Pavicevic added that all works on the administrative crossings would be finished by December 10 when the full implementation of the agreement on the integrated crossings management should begin. However, northern Kosovo Serbs strongly oppose the implementation of the agreement at the Jarinje, Merdare and Konculj crossings. They have announced blockades but Pavicevic claims that the agreement would “make their lives easier”. “We are in constant contact with northern Kosovo Serbs and I understand their concern and mistrust but we are trying to explain to them how it will work and that it would not cause any difficulties. It may even be easier for them because they will feel less isolated from Serbia,” he stressed. Pavicevic said that Serbia was doing everything in its power to make the lives of the Kosovo Serbs easier. When asked whether northern Kosovo Serbs would be involved in the next phase of the technical talks, he said that they had been invited but that they refused. “They claim that solutions are not favorable to them and they do not want to participate in the implementation but they expressed wish to have their representative in the technical dialogue,” he explained. The new round of the technical dialogue should be held next week. The Jarinje administrative crossing (Beta, file) Tanjug

Crossings deal will help Serbs, official claims

Pavićević added that all works on the administrative crossings would be finished by December 10 when the full implementation of the agreement on the integrated crossings management should begin.

However, northern Kosovo Serbs strongly oppose the implementation of the agreement at the Jarinje, Merdare and Končulj crossings. They have announced blockades but Pavićević claims that the agreement would “make their lives easier”.

“We are in constant contact with northern Kosovo Serbs and I understand their concern and mistrust but we are trying to explain to them how it will work and that it would not cause any difficulties. It may even be easier for them because they will feel less isolated from Serbia,” he stressed.

Pavićević said that Serbia was doing everything in its power to make the lives of the Kosovo Serbs easier.

When asked whether northern Kosovo Serbs would be involved in the next phase of the technical talks, he said that they had been invited but that they refused.

“They claim that solutions are not favorable to them and they do not want to participate in the implementation but they expressed wish to have their representative in the technical dialogue,” he explained.

The new round of the technical dialogue should be held next week.