PM: Four crossings to be opened by year's end

BRUSSELS Serbian and Kosovo PMs Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaci and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton met in Brussels on Tuesday evening. Dacic said after the meeting that four crossings would start working by the end of the year. PM: Four crossings to be opened by year's end He added that an agreement on the implementation of the crossings deal had been reached. The Serbian PM said that customs duties for goods intended for northern Kosovo Serbs would not be paid at the Konculj, Merdare, Jarinje and Brnjak crossings. He stressed that there would be no markings and symbols at the crossings. According to the Serbian PM, this means that Serbs from northern Kosovo will not have to take Kosovo documents and license plates. “This was a condition of the Serbian government in order to start the implementation of the agreement and it was agreed this time,” Dacic pointed out. He noted that two crossings would be finished and opened by December 10 and that the other two would start working by the end of the month. Dacic said that Pristina’s request that Kosovo Serbs use Kosovo license plates, that they can only get if they have Kosovo citizenship, had therefore been rejected. According to him, Serbia will suspend the agreement “if the agreed regime is violated in the field”. “A guarantee for the implementation of the agreement is the presence of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton,” Dacic added. He said that the agreement on the crossings management was status neutral and that Thaci’s statements about “the state border” do not contribute to progress in the dialogue. He also said that Ashton had called for restraint in giving of statements. Dacic called on Kosovo Serbs to trust the state and added that the current government needed to implement the agreements reached by the previous government even though the agreements “are not made in the interest of our people, but we are now between a rock and a hard place and if we did not implement it, our EU pathway would not get any further from the candidate status”. He said that it had been agreed with Thaci that liaison officers would be exchanged between Belgrade and Pristina who would be stationed in EU missions and take part in the implementation of the agreements. Dacic stressed that they would not be diplomats or people who would be treated as ambassadors. The technical dialogue will continue on January 10, announced the prime minister and said that the working groups would then continue to discuss the payment of customs duties. He said that he had “made it absolutely clear” that peace needed to be maintained in Kosovo and that “neither side must violate relations between people”. Dacic said ahead of the meeting that border between Kosovo and central Serbia was “out of the question”. Thaci said after the meeting that Serbian, Kosovo and EULEX police officers would be present at the crossings. When asked whether the crossings would in fact represent border crossings, he said they would but that Pristina would not place any state symbols if Belgrade did not put Serbia’s. Hashim Thaci, Catherine Ashton and Ivica Dacic B92 Beta RTS

PM: Four crossings to be opened by year's end

He added that an agreement on the implementation of the crossings deal had been reached.

The Serbian PM said that customs duties for goods intended for northern Kosovo Serbs would not be paid at the Končulj, Merdare, Jarinje and Brnjak crossings.

He stressed that there would be no markings and symbols at the crossings.

According to the Serbian PM, this means that Serbs from northern Kosovo will not have to take Kosovo documents and license plates.

“This was a condition of the Serbian government in order to start the implementation of the agreement and it was agreed this time,” Dačić pointed out.

He noted that two crossings would be finished and opened by December 10 and that the other two would start working by the end of the month.

Dačić said that Priština’s request that Kosovo Serbs use Kosovo license plates, that they can only get if they have Kosovo citizenship, had therefore been rejected.

According to him, Serbia will suspend the agreement “if the agreed regime is violated in the field”.

“A guarantee for the implementation of the agreement is the presence of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton,” Dačić added.

He said that the agreement on the crossings management was status neutral and that Thaci’s statements about “the state border” do not contribute to progress in the dialogue.

He also said that Ashton had called for restraint in giving of statements.

Dačić called on Kosovo Serbs to trust the state and added that the current government needed to implement the agreements reached by the previous government even though the agreements “are not made in the interest of our people, but we are now between a rock and a hard place and if we did not implement it, our EU pathway would not get any further from the candidate status”.

He said that it had been agreed with Thaci that liaison officers would be exchanged between Belgrade and Priština who would be stationed in EU missions and take part in the implementation of the agreements.

Dačić stressed that they would not be diplomats or people who would be treated as ambassadors.

The technical dialogue will continue on January 10, announced the prime minister and said that the working groups would then continue to discuss the payment of customs duties.

He said that he had “made it absolutely clear” that peace needed to be maintained in Kosovo and that “neither side must violate relations between people”.

Dačić said ahead of the meeting that border between Kosovo and central Serbia was “out of the question”.

Thaci said after the meeting that Serbian, Kosovo and EULEX police officers would be present at the crossings.

When asked whether the crossings would in fact represent border crossings, he said they would but that Priština would not place any state symbols if Belgrade did not put Serbia’s.