German party wants "commitment in front of cameras"

BELGRADE A German parliamentarian delegation has said that Belgrade and Pristina should "commit themselves to a normalization of relations in front of the cameras". This should happen "before the start of the (EU) accession negotiations", stated the written material given to reporters on Tuesday in Belgrade. German party wants "commitment in front of cameras" The delegation of the German CDU/CSU party also said that the fulfillment of these points was an "unavoidable condition" for this fraction's agreement to the EU giving Serbia a date for the start of membership talks. "The visible will" could be demonstrated by "the presidents or prime ministers committing themselves in written or oral form, in front of the cameras, that both governments want to, during the accession talks, regulate the normalization in a legally binding manner". The guests from Germany who visited Belgrade for meetings with top officials also confirmed that the new government was making great efforts to resolve difficult issues and has already made significant progress. It is pointed out that the encouraging signals came from Tomislav Nikolic's meeting with Atifete Jahjaga, as well as from "Prime Minister Dacic's latest opinion" published in the weekly NIN (when he wrote that "for ten years there were lies that Kosovo is ours"). All this is also described as "historic" by the Germans. "During today's discussion we have gained the impression that we can rely on what the Serbian government is nnouncing. In the past it was not always so," said the introduction to material that was distributed to journalists today. The German MPs brought with them a list of seven conditions for Serbia's continued EU integration, where the seventh, key point, referred to "a legally binding normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo". They expect "a perspective where Serbia and Kosovo are full-fledged EU members, which can unobstructed and together fulfil their rights and obligations, and that perspective must be agreed on as a contractual obligation (for example in the form of an agreement on good neighborly relations) and must take effect before the end of the (EU) association negotiations." Kosovo's ethnic Albanians in early 2008 unilaterally declared independence, which Serbia rejected as illegal under its Constitution. The two sides have been engaged in a series of rounds of EU-sponsored negotiations since March 2011. A new round of these talks, dubbed the Kosovo dialogue, is set to continue on March 20 in Brussels. Ahead of it, the German delegation's document stated that "the central role in the appraisal of the efforts of the dialogue is also played by the attitude of Pristina". "Therefore we are exerting our influence also on Pristina and we have certain expectations also from Pristina. We have pointed out to that during this visit and we asked from our Kosovo interlocutors to show a readiness to compromise," the CDU/CSU officials said in the statement, and concluded that "that means that we cannot hold it against Serbia if it is prepared for a compromise, but Kosovo is not." (Tanjug) B92

German party wants "commitment in front of cameras"

The delegation of the German CDU/CSU party also said that the fulfillment of these points was an "unavoidable condition" for this fraction's agreement to the EU giving Serbia a date for the start of membership talks.

"The visible will" could be demonstrated by "the presidents or prime ministers committing themselves in written or oral form, in front of the cameras, that both governments want to, during the accession talks, regulate the normalization in a legally binding manner".

The guests from Germany who visited Belgrade for meetings with top officials also confirmed that the new government was making great efforts to resolve difficult issues and has already made significant progress.

It is pointed out that the encouraging signals came from Tomislav Nikolić's meeting with Atifete Jahjaga, as well as from "Prime Minister Dačić's latest opinion" published in the weekly NIN (when he wrote that "for ten years there were lies that Kosovo is ours").

All this is also described as "historic" by the Germans.

"During today's discussion we have gained the impression that we can rely on what the Serbian government is nnouncing. In the past it was not always so," said the introduction to material that was distributed to journalists today.

The German MPs brought with them a list of seven conditions for Serbia's continued EU integration, where the seventh, key point, referred to "a legally binding normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo".

They expect "a perspective where Serbia and Kosovo are full-fledged EU members, which can unobstructed and together fulfil their rights and obligations, and that perspective must be agreed on as a contractual obligation (for example in the form of an agreement on good neighborly relations) and must take effect before the end of the (EU) association negotiations."

Kosovo's ethnic Albanians in early 2008 unilaterally declared independence, which Serbia rejected as illegal under its Constitution. The two sides have been engaged in a series of rounds of EU-sponsored negotiations since March 2011.

A new round of these talks, dubbed the Kosovo dialogue, is set to continue on March 20 in Brussels.

Ahead of it, the German delegation's document stated that "the central role in the appraisal of the efforts of the dialogue is also played by the attitude of Priština".

"Therefore we are exerting our influence also on Priština and we have certain expectations also from Priština. We have pointed out to that during this visit and we asked from our Kosovo interlocutors to show a readiness to compromise," the CDU/CSU officials said in the statement, and concluded that "that means that we cannot hold it against Serbia if it is prepared for a compromise, but Kosovo is not."