Belgrade-Priština talks to resume on Friday

BELGRADE The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue should continue on Friday. EU High Representative Catherine Ashton says the differences after the latest round are "narrow." She added that she hoped for a positive outcome. Belgrade-Pristina talks to resume on Friday “The differences are really narrow. Catherine Ashton has to compose the report by Monday, and she would love both delegations to go through the proposals one more time and see if it is possible to reach an agreement,” Ashton's Spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said. Tanjug has unofficially learned that the Belgrade delegation has received an invitation for Friday's continuation of the talks and that a decision will be made on Belgrade's participation in the tenth round of the talks during the day. Pristina stated on Thursday that its delegation had returned from the Ljubljana airport to Brussels at Ashton’s request in order to resume the talks. The ninth round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue ended after 15 hours of talks in Brussels late on Wednesday without any agreement, but with an announcement that the continuation is possible. Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said late Wednesday that all 15 points of the offered agreement were acceptable to the Serbian side but that Pristina undermined the possibility of a deal by introducing a new demand which was not part of the negotiations and which tied powers of the police in Serb municipalities to Kosovo's membership in international organizations and the UN. Kosovo's European Integration Minister Vlora Citaku has written on her Twitter account that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will resume in Brussels on Friday. "Delegations back to Brussels! Dialogue to continue tomorrow! We need agreement not only for normality, but also so we can focus on reforms," she wrote. Citing a statement from the Kosovo government, Reuters reported that Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci had turned back from the Slovenian capital Ljubljana at Ashton's request, having left Brussels after 14 hours of talks on Wednesday ended without result. According to Reuters, the EU wants a deal between Pristina and Belgrade before it considers on Monday whether to recommend the start of membership talks with Serbia. The subject of Monday's meeting in Luxembourg will be Ashton's report, which will determine whether Serbia will get a date for the beginning of the EU accession talks in June. Tanjug

Belgrade-Priština talks to resume on Friday

“The differences are really narrow. Catherine Ashton has to compose the report by Monday, and she would love both delegations to go through the proposals one more time and see if it is possible to reach an agreement,” Ashton's Spokeswoman Maja Kocijančič said.

Tanjug has unofficially learned that the Belgrade delegation has received an invitation for Friday's continuation of the talks and that a decision will be made on Belgrade's participation in the tenth round of the talks during the day.

Priština stated on Thursday that its delegation had returned from the Ljubljana airport to Brussels at Ashton’s request in order to resume the talks.

The ninth round of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue ended after 15 hours of talks in Brussels late on Wednesday without any agreement, but with an announcement that the continuation is possible.

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said late Wednesday that all 15 points of the offered agreement were acceptable to the Serbian side but that Priština undermined the possibility of a deal by introducing a new demand which was not part of the negotiations and which tied powers of the police in Serb municipalities to Kosovo's membership in international organizations and the UN.

Kosovo's European Integration Minister Vlora Citaku has written on her Twitter account that the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština will resume in Brussels on Friday.

"Delegations back to Brussels! Dialogue to continue tomorrow! We need agreement not only for normality, but also so we can focus on reforms," she wrote.

Citing a statement from the Kosovo government, Reuters reported that Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci had turned back from the Slovenian capital Ljubljana at Ashton's request, having left Brussels after 14 hours of talks on Wednesday ended without result.

According to Reuters, the EU wants a deal between Priština and Belgrade before it considers on Monday whether to recommend the start of membership talks with Serbia.

The subject of Monday's meeting in Luxembourg will be Ashton's report, which will determine whether Serbia will get a date for the beginning of the EU accession talks in June.