PM: Kosovo deal chance which must not be missed

VIENNA Ivica Dacic said on Monday in Vienna that the agreement with Pristina reached in Brussels is a chance that must not be missed. It should be used to re-position Serbia, while sending a message to Kosovo Serbs that it would be good for them to agree to its implementation, said the Serbian prime minister. PM: Kosovo deal chance which must not be missed At a joint news conference after a meeting with Austria's Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger , Dacic said the government would sit down with Serbs from northern Kosovo. "We were not going for a recognition of Kosovo as an independent country. The talks and the dialogue were status neutral, but the common position of us in Serbia was that regardless of the fact we do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state, the territory is under a special regime, under the terms defined in UN Security Council Resolution 1244," explained Dacic. "There is no reason to fear that Serbs will lose their institutions, jobs, no one will be able to attack them with military force, Serbs will be working in the police and the justice system. The community will have some competences in the economy, healthcare, education, and spatial planning. I think it is much better that we implement this plan together than to have the Serbs opposing it," he said. Dacic said he thinks this opportunity should be used to re-position Serbia and change its image. "Over the past 20 years, we had three opportunities to get Serbia going with the support of the international community. The first was after the Dayton Agreement, the second was after the fall of Milosevic on October 5, 2000. Both opportunities were missed. We must not miss this chance," he was quoted as saying by Tanjug. (Tanjug) "Serbia expects good news" Serbia expects good news from Brussels Ivica Dacic said Monday in Vienna that Serbia expects good news from Brussels about a date for starting accession talks with the EU and that he would be very grateful if Austria advocated for giving Serbia the date in June. Dacic said he was happy to hear from Austrian officials that the government in Vienna supports Serbia moving forward on its EU path. "I think the international community, the EU included, spent many years expecting Serbia to be the good news. Now Serbia also expects good news from Brussels," Dacic told a joint news conference. Dacic said that today European integration "soothes the wounds" that exist in the relations of Balkan nations, warning it would be bad if enlargement stopped after Croatia joins the EU, because this would bring back centuries-old divisions. He said Serbia wants to build trust and stability in the whole region, and announced the talks with Pristina will continue and implementation of the Brussels agreement will begin. "It is time to close the door on the past. The past unfortunately cannot be changed, but we can shape the present and the future," underlined Dacic. He noted that Serbia lost a lot of time and suffered great damages due to sanctions, wars and the bombing, so its current GDP is only 65 percent of what it was in 1989. "This is why Serbia has no time to wait, it needs to take big strides forward, but these strides begin with the first step, which we have taken. This is why I think we need to take advantage of this positive moment for general stabilization in the region and in Serbia," said Dacic. Speaking about relations with Austria, he stressed Serbia is very interesting in building closer ties and good bilateral relations. "The development of political dialogue, and cooperation in the economy, culture and education is our essential interest, because we are tied by the several hundred thousand of our people who live here," said Dacic. He expressed belief the two countries can cooperate even more in the economy, even though Austria is already the biggest investor in Serbia. Tanjug

PM: Kosovo deal chance which must not be missed

At a joint news conference after a meeting with Austria's Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger

, Dačić said the government would sit down with Serbs from northern Kosovo.

"We were not going for a recognition of Kosovo as an independent country. The talks and the dialogue were status neutral, but the common position of us in Serbia was that regardless of the fact we do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state, the territory is under a special regime, under the terms defined in UN Security Council Resolution 1244," explained Dačić.

"There is no reason to fear that Serbs will lose their institutions, jobs, no one will be able to attack them with military force, Serbs will be working in the police and the justice system. The community will have some competences in the economy, healthcare, education, and spatial planning. I think it is much better that we implement this plan together than to have the Serbs opposing it," he said.

Dačić said he thinks this opportunity should be used to re-position Serbia and change its image.

"Over the past 20 years, we had three opportunities to get Serbia going with the support of the international community. The first was after the Dayton Agreement, the second was after the fall of Milošević on October 5, 2000. Both opportunities were missed. We must not miss this chance," he was quoted as saying by Tanjug.

"Serbia expects good news"

Serbia expects good news from Brussels

Ivica Dačić said Monday in Vienna that Serbia expects good news from Brussels about a date for starting accession talks with the EU and that he would be very grateful if Austria advocated for giving Serbia the date in June.

Dačić said he was happy to hear from Austrian officials that the government in Vienna supports Serbia moving forward on its EU path.

"I think the international community, the EU included, spent many years expecting Serbia to be the good news. Now Serbia also expects good news from Brussels," Dačić told a joint news conference.

Dačić said that today European integration "soothes the wounds" that exist in the relations of Balkan nations, warning it would be bad if enlargement stopped after Croatia joins the EU, because this would bring back centuries-old divisions.

He said Serbia wants to build trust and stability in the whole region, and announced the talks with Priština will continue and implementation of the Brussels agreement will begin.

"It is time to close the door on the past. The past unfortunately cannot be changed, but we can shape the present and the future," underlined Dačić.

He noted that Serbia lost a lot of time and suffered great damages due to sanctions, wars and the bombing, so its current GDP is only 65 percent of what it was in 1989.

"This is why Serbia has no time to wait, it needs to take big strides forward, but these strides begin with the first step, which we have taken. This is why I think we need to take advantage of this positive moment for general stabilization in the region and in Serbia," said Dačić.

Speaking about relations with Austria, he stressed Serbia is very interesting in building closer ties and good bilateral relations.

"The development of political dialogue, and cooperation in the economy, culture and education is our essential interest, because we are tied by the several hundred thousand of our people who live here," said Dačić.

He expressed belief the two countries can cooperate even more in the economy, even though Austria is already the biggest investor in Serbia.