Belgrade, Priština “make progress in dialogue”

BRUSSELS -- Although progress was made during a dialogue of the working groups of Belgrade and Priština, there was no full agreement, the European Commission has released.

The two-day dialogue ended in Brussels on Wednesday evening.

“Progress was made, but there is still much work to be done,” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton’s Spokeswoman Maja Kocijančić told reporters on Wednesday.

The main topic of the talks, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, was the implementation of the agreement on integrated control of crossing points, and in line with the practice so far, the participants of the dialogue did not address the media.

Kocijačić said that the EU expected a new meeting soon, following the necessary consultations of the working groups.

The technical dialogue is part of the preparations for a meeting between Serbia's Prime Minister Ivica Dačić and his Kosovo colleague Hashim Thaci, expected in early December.

As agreed earlier, the implementation of the agreement on integrated management of crossing points should start on December 10, in the beginning at two out of the sixc crossings along the administrative line separating Serbia from Kosovo.

Head of the Belgrade team Dejan Pavićević said earlier he would request that Kosovo customs officials be present at the crossing solely as observers, with EULEX officials conducting all the work.

The implementation of the agreement is one of the requirements the European Council set for Serbia in March this year in order to give the country the start date for the accession talks.