Platform for Kosovo “to be finished in several weeks”

BELGRADE -- Serbian president’s foreign policy advisor Marko Đurić says a state platform for the solving of the Kosovo issue will be completed in the next several weeks.

Marko Đurić (Tanjug)

He added that a team that would lead the negotiations with Priština would be presented soon.

According to him, Serbia’s ultimate goal in Kosovo will be clearly pointed out in the platform. The president’s advisor stressed that the current authorities’ aim was to solve the issue before the end of President Tomislav Nikolić and the government’s mandate.

Commenting on the state’s ultimate goal, Đurić said that it should be something that would meet the minimum of interests of both Kosovo Serbs and Albanians.

“We will discus it in more detail the moment when top state officials present the platform, and that will be soon,” he told Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) on Thursday night.

He said that the authorities had considered several options when it came to the final solution and “the entire public will know Serbia’s exact stance once the negotiations begin and they will have an opportunity to express their opinion in forums and in parliament”.

“This is not an issue that should serve for scoring political points, we are ready to solve the issue during President Nikolić and hopefully government's mandate,“ Đurić noted.

He explained that Kosovo Serbs could in the end have institutions that would allow them to function politically and economically.

When asked whether PM Ivica Dačić would lead the negotiations, Đurić said that according to the Constitution, the government was in charge of issues of national interest.

He added that all issues were deeply linked with Kosovo’s status and that partial negotiations with separate political and technical talks were therefore not good for Serbia.

Đurić said that the dialogue with Priština would primarily be held on a political level.

“Top officials will agree on the platform and we will extend our hand to the opposition and citizens will be able to see the final vision. We will not give up on the fight for Kosovo and our interests,” he concluded.