Ashton: Concrete progress made in Brussels

BRUSSELS Catherine Ashton stated on Friday morning that the high-level dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has yielded concrete progress and agreement on many issues. This includes judiciary, police and local elections, the EU foreign policy chief saif, adding that she will inform the EU member states about this. Ashton: Concrete progress made in Brussels At a working dinner on Thursday evening, which lasted for nearly six hours, Ashton conferred with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. "We did a good job and made concrete progress," Ashton said in a written statement, adding that she will inform the member states about the details ahead of the ministerial council in Luxembourg next week. The working dinner finished a little after 02:00 CET, and afterwards Thaci stated that the stances of the two sides have converged, but that no final agreement was reached. The members of the Serbian team did not comment on the outcome of this round of the dialogue. The technical dialogue between working groups will continue on Friday. Beta reported earlier that Catherine Ashton and Stefan Fule will by the end of the week send all EU members a report on progress made in implementing the Belgrade-Pristina Agreement and reforms achieved in Serbia and Kosovo. Catherine Ashton's spokesperson Maja Kocijancic told journalists this, underscoring that the "letter will be sent to all EU members in the context of the discussion at the meeting of EU foreign ministers on Tuesday (June 25) in Luxembourg." The main part of the letter is the report on the progress made in implementing the Belgrade-Pristina agreement, she explained. Officials close to EU High Representative Ashton told Beta that this report, "which is not an explicit recommendation," should mean that EU foreign ministers, at the session on June 21 in Luxembourg, should be "in the best position to decide on the start of accession talks with Serbia, as well as on an association agreement with Kosovo." (Beta/AP, file) Beta Tanjug

Ashton: Concrete progress made in Brussels

At a working dinner on Thursday evening, which lasted for nearly six hours, Ashton conferred with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić, First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.

"We did a good job and made concrete progress," Ashton said in a written statement, adding that she will inform the member states about the details ahead of the ministerial council in Luxembourg next week.

The working dinner finished a little after 02:00 CET, and afterwards Thaci stated that the stances of the two sides have converged, but that no final agreement was reached.

The members of the Serbian team did not comment on the outcome of this round of the dialogue.

The technical dialogue between working groups will continue on Friday.

Beta reported earlier that Catherine Ashton and Stefan Fule will by the end of the week send all EU members a report on progress made in implementing the Belgrade-Priština Agreement and reforms achieved in Serbia and Kosovo.

Catherine Ashton's spokesperson Maja Kocijančić told journalists this, underscoring that the "letter will be sent to all EU members in the context of the discussion at the meeting of EU foreign ministers on Tuesday (June 25) in Luxembourg."

The main part of the letter is the report on the progress made in implementing the Belgrade-Priština agreement, she explained.

Officials close to EU High Representative Ashton told Beta that this report, "which is not an explicit recommendation," should mean that EU foreign ministers, at the session on June 21 in Luxembourg, should be "in the best position to decide on the start of accession talks with Serbia, as well as on an association agreement with Kosovo."