"Progress in EU integration greatest achievement"

BELGRADE Ivica Dacic thinks Serbia's greatest achievements in 2012 have been meeting the requirements to start the accession talks with the EU in the first half of 2013. Another achievement that the Serbian prime minister singled out was "the change of government after the general elections last spring". "Progress in EU integration greatest achievement" "It is realistic to expect that Serbia will enter the accession talks by the end of June, because the opinion within the EU concerning Serbia is now possibly the best in the past 10 years, and the key reasons for that are the progress in the talks with Pristina and the battle against crime and corruption," Dacic said. Serbia needs the EU, and the platform for Kosovo did not meet with approval in the west because it contains a call to end the technical negotiations with Pristina and a general opinion that "nothing has been agreed until agreed," Dacic told Tanjug in an interview. The negative opinion was such that "even those who are our greatest friends in the west were very much against that sentence, that the talks should be terminated. I think they did not read further, and if they did, they did not comment on it," Dacic stated. He pointed out that President Tomislav Nikolic, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and him therefore decided to put that opinion in the background. "The talks are no longer just technical. President Nikolic himself suggested they be raised to the political level, which indeed happened. He suggested to Catherine Ashton that I run the talks, meaning that I should meet Taci," Dacic pointed out, adding that he thought Nikolic should also take part in the talks. The entire government believes a general solution should be sought, but, in view of the pace of the negotiations in Brussels, Belgrade does not think it realistic that some crucial progress on what has been proposed could be made in two to three months, Dacic stressed. "Therefore a more flexible approach is required there, so we would not end up being unable to go forward nor backward, and that means losing the talks with the EU while not having anything else to discuss with Pristina." Commenting on the resolution on Kosovo, set for a parliament discussion on January 11, Dacic said the text of the document was being shaped. The resolution is based on the first part of the draft platform, which speaks about the basic principles for the negotiations, he noted. "The resolution itself will be about the basic principles that matter, and those are that we are not going to recognize Kosovo, that we believe the focus of our proposal is in fact the position of the Serb community in Kosovo, that it is certain the Kosovo Serbs will have an important say in the dialogue from now on and that we believe it should all be accompanied by progress in EU integration," he said. "What we achieve and define will later be turned into a law on a substantial autonomy for Kosovo," Dacic added. "Everything we do, even the agreements from Brussels, have to be part of some legislation that will in fact be about a substantial autonomy for Kosovo. Why was that phrase used? Because it is the phrase used in Resolution 1244. And that is our entire concept and plan regarding Kosovo," he remarked. Ivica Dacic (Tanjug, file) "No elections in 2013" In yet another interview published on Monday - this time given to the Belgrade-based tabloid Informer - Ivica Dacic stated that there would be no elections in 2013 and that those who believe otherwise "believe in Santa Claus". "There will be no elections in 2013, not because I do not want them or because those elections do not suit me or my party, but because they would not suit Serbia," he stated. According to Dacic, an early election would mean another year lost in terms of reforms and the economy and would be a very ba signal for foreign investors too. "That is why I say that those who believe in new elections in 2013 actually believe in Santa Claus," he remarked. Asked if he firmly believed that, because the Serb Progressive Party and its leader Aleksandar Vucic were gaining popularity, Dacic said you never knew with politics and should never say never. "But I have already told you I see no reason for anyone, even Vucic, to push for early elections. Anyway, just to remind you, I told (Boris) Tadic this spring he should not call an early presidential election. He did not listen to me," he noted. Dacic added that there was "no trouble in his relations with Vucic". Tanjug

"Progress in EU integration greatest achievement"

"It is realistic to expect that Serbia will enter the accession talks by the end of June, because the opinion within the EU concerning Serbia is now possibly the best in the past 10 years, and the key reasons for that are the progress in the talks with Priština and the battle against crime and corruption," Dačić said.

Serbia needs the EU, and the platform for Kosovo did not meet with approval in the west because it contains a call to end the technical negotiations with Priština and a general opinion that "nothing has been agreed until agreed," Dačić told Tanjug in an interview.

The negative opinion was such that "even those who are our greatest friends in the west were very much against that sentence, that the talks should be terminated. I think they did not read further, and if they did, they did not comment on it," Dačić stated.

He pointed out that President Tomislav Nikolić, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and him therefore decided to put that opinion in the background.

"The talks are no longer just technical. President Nikolić himself suggested they be raised to the political level, which indeed happened. He suggested to Catherine Ashton that I run the talks, meaning that I should meet Taci," Dačić pointed out, adding that he thought Nikolić should also take part in the talks.

The entire government believes a general solution should be sought, but, in view of the pace of the negotiations in Brussels, Belgrade does not think it realistic that some crucial progress on what has been proposed could be made in two to three months, Dačić stressed.

"Therefore a more flexible approach is required there, so we would not end up being unable to go forward nor backward, and that means losing the talks with the EU while not having anything else to discuss with Priština."

Commenting on the resolution on Kosovo, set for a parliament discussion on January 11, Dačić said the text of the document was being shaped.

The resolution is based on the first part of the draft platform, which speaks about the basic principles for the negotiations, he noted.

"The resolution itself will be about the basic principles that matter, and those are that we are not going to recognize Kosovo, that we believe the focus of our proposal is in fact the position of the Serb community in Kosovo, that it is certain the Kosovo Serbs will have an important say in the dialogue from now on and that we believe it should all be accompanied by progress in EU integration," he said.

"What we achieve and define will later be turned into a law on a substantial autonomy for Kosovo," Dačić added.

"Everything we do, even the agreements from Brussels, have to be part of some legislation that will in fact be about a substantial autonomy for Kosovo. Why was that phrase used? Because it is the phrase used in Resolution 1244. And that is our entire concept and plan regarding Kosovo," he remarked.

"No elections in 2013"

In yet another interview published on Monday - this time given to the Belgrade-based tabloid Informer - Ivica Dačić stated that there would be no elections in 2013 and that those who believe otherwise "believe in Santa Claus".

"There will be no elections in 2013, not because I do not want them or because those elections do not suit me or my party, but because they would not suit Serbia," he stated.

According to Dačić, an early election would mean another year lost in terms of reforms and the economy and would be a very ba signal for foreign investors too.

"That is why I say that those who believe in new elections in 2013 actually believe in Santa Claus," he remarked.

Asked if he firmly believed that, because the Serb Progressive Party and its leader Aleksandar Vučić were gaining popularity, Dačić said you never knew with politics and should never say never.

"But I have already told you I see no reason for anyone, even Vučić, to push for early elections. Anyway, just to remind you, I told (Boris) Tadić this spring he should not call an early presidential election. He did not listen to me," he noted.

Dačić added that there was "no trouble in his relations with Vučić".