Tadić: Belgrade willing for Kosovo talks

President Boris Tadic says that Serbia is prepared for talks regarding life issues in Kosovo. He said that these issues could not be allowed to undermine Serbia’s sovereignty or territorial integrity. Tadic: Belgrade willing for Kosovo talks “If UNMIK is an institution that is open towards the Serbian state bodies, we are always prepared for negotiations, and we are ready to meet with the Kosovo Albanians' legitimate officials to discuss all life issues that affect not only the Albanians, but also Serbs and other non-Albanians living in Kosovo,” Tadic told a press conference marking the 19th anniversary of the founding of his Democratic Party. “We are in a special stage in the Serb-Albanian conflict. Serbia does not wish the Albanians any ill, we want sustainable and good relations, inter-ethnic relations, but they have to be set up in such a way that won’t compromise Serbia’s state interests and the integrity of our country,” the president underlined. He said that Serbia was prepared for all talks that honored these principles. Boris Tadic (FoNet) Meeting on six-point plan looming Serbian officials are expected to meet later this month with representatives of the international community in Pristina to discuss the six-point plan in Kosovo. “The delegation, which will include UNMIK Chief Lamberto Zannier, EU Special Envoy to Kosovo Pieter Feith and EULEX Chief Yves de Kermabon, will call for a meeting with Belgrade officials in order to discuss issues of common interest to Kosovo and Serbia,” the BBC reports. After returning to Pristina from New York, Zannier briefed Feith on his meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, who invited him to visit Belgrade in order to begin talks related to the implementation of the UN’s six-point plan for Kosovo. That plan is designed to offer the Kosovo Serbs wider autonomy in the fields of justice, police and customs, while also offering better protection for cultural and religious buildings, and remedying certain traffic and telecommunication problems. At the same time, Pristina is calling for a stronger international presence in the talks on technical matters, stating that UNMIK, as a mission on its way out of Kosovo, should not participate in the negotiations. Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuqi told the BBC that talks with Serbia could only be held as between two independent countries, and only on technical issues, with the mediation of the U.S. and EU. Zannier said that he would be soon filling Kosovo officials in on his talks with Jeremic. Serbian Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanovic has also invited Zannier to talks in Belgrade. UNMIK spokesman Alexandar Ivanko told the Beta news agency that the modality of the technical talks had be confirmed, as all of UNMIK’s responsibilities in the fields of justice, police and customs had been transferred to EULEX.

Tadić: Belgrade willing for Kosovo talks

“If UNMIK is an institution that is open towards the Serbian state bodies, we are always prepared for negotiations, and we are ready to meet with the Kosovo Albanians' legitimate officials to discuss all life issues that affect not only the Albanians, but also Serbs and other non-Albanians living in Kosovo,” Tadić told a press conference marking the 19th anniversary of the founding of his Democratic Party.

“We are in a special stage in the Serb-Albanian conflict. Serbia does not wish the Albanians any ill, we want sustainable and good relations, inter-ethnic relations, but they have to be set up in such a way that won’t compromise Serbia’s state interests and the integrity of our country,” the president underlined.

He said that Serbia was prepared for all talks that honored these principles.

Meeting on six-point plan looming

Serbian officials are expected to meet later this month with representatives of the international community in Priština to discuss the six-point plan in Kosovo.

“The delegation, which will include UNMIK Chief Lamberto Zannier, EU Special Envoy to Kosovo Pieter Feith and EULEX Chief Yves de Kermabon, will call for a meeting with Belgrade officials in order to discuss issues of common interest to Kosovo and Serbia,” the BBC reports.

After returning to Priština from New York, Zannier briefed Feith on his meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić, who invited him to visit Belgrade in order to begin talks related to the implementation of the UN’s six-point plan for Kosovo.

That plan is designed to offer the Kosovo Serbs wider autonomy in the fields of justice, police and customs, while also offering better protection for cultural and religious buildings, and remedying certain traffic and telecommunication problems.

At the same time, Priština is calling for a stronger international presence in the talks on technical matters, stating that UNMIK, as a mission on its way out of Kosovo, should not participate in the negotiations.

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuqi told the BBC that talks with Serbia could only be held as between two independent countries, and only on technical issues, with the mediation of the U.S. and EU.

Zannier said that he would be soon filling Kosovo officials in on his talks with Jeremić.

Serbian Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanović has also invited Zannier to talks in Belgrade.

UNMIK spokesman Alexandar Ivanko told the Beta news agency that the modality of the technical talks had be confirmed, as all of UNMIK’s responsibilities in the fields of justice, police and customs had been transferred to EULEX.