“Northern Kosovo Serbs won’t accept Thaci’s proposal”

BELGRADE It is certain that assemblies of four northern Kosovo municipalities will not accept that a community of Serb municipalities is governed by Kosovo laws. This is according to Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo Deputy Director Krstimir Pantic. “Northern Kosovo Serbs won’t accept Thaci’s proposal” He said that the four municipalities would voice their opinion about the Belgrade-Pristina’s agreement only after they had seen it. He also added that it was certain that they would not accept the idea to hold elections for the community of Serb municipalities in accordance with Kosovo’s laws. “I can claim with certainty that municipal assemblies from the north of the province will not accept that elections for the community of Serb municipalities are conducted in accordance with the Kosovo laws and the Constitution of the so-called Republic of Kosovo and that we will not accept some stronger ties with Pristina,” Pantic told Tanjug. He said that representatives of northern Kosovo municipalities would insist in ties with institutions of the Republic of Serbia and added that he otherwise did not see a possibility for the implementation of the agreement. “Not only the local self-governments and leadership of the four municipalities, but citizens in the north of the province will absolutely be against the agreement, bearing in mind results of the last year’s referendum when 99.75 percent of citizens voted against Albanian institutions in the north of the province,” Pantic pointed out. According to him, Kosovo Serbs have always criticized agreements reached in Brussels bearing in mind the fact that they have always suited Albanians and made their life easier while they made Serbs’ life harder. Office for Kosovo deputy director said that Kosovo Serbs had not been sufficiently involved in the Brussels talks and that it was partly their fault because they did not want to be a part of the negotiating team. However, he added that the Serbian government needed to have a better communication with Kosovo Serbs and to respect them more because “this is about their future”. “The question is whether Serbs, if the agreement is unfavorable, will continue to live in those municipalities or decide to take some other steps such as to move to central Serbia,” Pantic warned. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton met with Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci and President Atifete Jahjaga on Thursday in Pristina. Thaci said after the meeting that the community of Serb municipalities would not have legislative and executive powers and that it would function in accordance with Kosovo’s laws. Krstimir Pantic (Beta, file) B92 Tanjug

“Northern Kosovo Serbs won’t accept Thaci’s proposal”

He said that the four municipalities would voice their opinion about the Belgrade-Priština’s agreement only after they had seen it.

He also added that it was certain that they would not accept the idea to hold elections for the community of Serb municipalities in accordance with Kosovo’s laws.

“I can claim with certainty that municipal assemblies from the north of the province will not accept that elections for the community of Serb municipalities are conducted in accordance with the Kosovo laws and the Constitution of the so-called Republic of Kosovo and that we will not accept some stronger ties with Priština,” Pantić told Tanjug.

He said that representatives of northern Kosovo municipalities would insist in ties with institutions of the Republic of Serbia and added that he otherwise did not see a possibility for the implementation of the agreement.

“Not only the local self-governments and leadership of the four municipalities, but citizens in the north of the province will absolutely be against the agreement, bearing in mind results of the last year’s referendum when 99.75 percent of citizens voted against Albanian institutions in the north of the province,” Pantić pointed out.

According to him, Kosovo Serbs have always criticized agreements reached in Brussels bearing in mind the fact that they have always suited Albanians and made their life easier while they made Serbs’ life harder.

Office for Kosovo deputy director said that Kosovo Serbs had not been sufficiently involved in the Brussels talks and that it was partly their fault because they did not want to be a part of the negotiating team.

However, he added that the Serbian government needed to have a better communication with Kosovo Serbs and to respect them more because “this is about their future”.

“The question is whether Serbs, if the agreement is unfavorable, will continue to live in those municipalities or decide to take some other steps such as to move to central Serbia,” Pantić warned.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton met with Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci and President Atifete Jahjaga on Thursday in Priština. Thaci said after the meeting that the community of Serb municipalities would not have legislative and executive powers and that it would function in accordance with Kosovo’s laws.