Team chief: We want permanent peace

Serbia does not want the issue of Kosovo to block its EU path, we want to provide permanent peace, says Head of the Serbian negotiating team Borko Stefanovic. He told daily Blic that Belgrade wanted to harmonize its national interest and what Brussels saw as possible solutions through direct negotiations with Pristina. Team chief: We want permanent peace “We are more prepared than ever to get to the most optimal solutions in a new way,” the head of Serbia’s negotiating team pointed out. “Our approach is not fixed now compared to other negotiations, because aside from protecting our national interests we do not want the issue of Kosovo to block our road toward the EU, we want the people in Kosovo to live a normal and safe life and to have a permanent peace through a historic compromise of Serbs and Albanians,” he was quoted as saying. Stefanovic has assessed that successful negotiations will be very important for Belgrade because it would make it easier to get the candidate status and begin accession negotiations “even though it is not a formal condition”. He said that the first direct talks between Belgrade and Pristina would be held in Brussels and that the EU would take part in them, adding that Serbian expert teams had made proposals and models for solutions to some issues. “Alternatives for first possible topics – telecommunication, air traffic, cadastre and the issue of the missing persons, have been prepared. Some issues are very connected, such as functioning of the institutions in the north, legalization of documents, presence of Pristina at the international meetings,” the head of the Serbian negotiating team stressed. He said he did not believe that the Kosovo Albanians had prepared any solutions because they still had not formed their negotiating team. “There are speculations about who is going to lead the team, it’s only certain that this will be somebody closest to the prime minister,” Stefanovic pointed out and added that he did not expect that Council of Europe (CoE) Rapporteur Dick Marty’s report, which was adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) last week, would delay the talks. He noted that speculations that direct talks with Pristina would mean recognition of Kosovo’s independence were unfounded. “There is no basis for something like that… Critics who claim that we are recognizing somebody just because we are talking to them are questioning the normal European process of solving problems,” Stefanovic concluded. Borislav Stefanovic (Tanjug, file)

Team chief: We want permanent peace

“We are more prepared than ever to get to the most optimal solutions in a new way,” the head of Serbia’s negotiating team pointed out.

“Our approach is not fixed now compared to other negotiations, because aside from protecting our national interests we do not want the issue of Kosovo to block our road toward the EU, we want the people in Kosovo to live a normal and safe life and to have a permanent peace through a historic compromise of Serbs and Albanians,” he was quoted as saying.

Stefanović has assessed that successful negotiations will be very important for Belgrade because it would make it easier to get the candidate status and begin accession negotiations “even though it is not a formal condition”.

He said that the first direct talks between Belgrade and Priština would be held in Brussels and that the EU would take part in them, adding that Serbian expert teams had made proposals and models for solutions to some issues.

“Alternatives for first possible topics – telecommunication, air traffic, cadastre and the issue of the missing persons, have been prepared. Some issues are very connected, such as functioning of the institutions in the north, legalization of documents, presence of Priština at the international meetings,” the head of the Serbian negotiating team stressed.

He said he did not believe that the Kosovo Albanians had prepared any solutions because they still had not formed their negotiating team.

“There are speculations about who is going to lead the team, it’s only certain that this will be somebody closest to the prime minister,” Stefanović pointed out and added that he did not expect that Council of Europe (CoE) Rapporteur Dick Marty’s report, which was adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) last week, would delay the talks.

He noted that speculations that direct talks with Priština would mean recognition of Kosovo’s independence were unfounded.

“There is no basis for something like that… Critics who claim that we are recognizing somebody just because we are talking to them are questioning the normal European process of solving problems,” Stefanović concluded.