"Dialogue is opportunity for positive changes”

Belgrade-Pristina negotiations are an opportunity to change things for the better, the European Council stated. Everything is ready for the beginning of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Not much is known about the negotiating teams but it is possible that representatives of Kosovo Serbs would be a part of Pristina’s team. "Dialogue is opportunity for positive changes” Even though details about the beginning of the talks have not been released yet, there is unofficial information from Brussels that the EU is planning on pointing out to both sides that it sees the negotiations as an opportunity to change things for the better. “We will insist on this although it has already been done during the preparations for the dialogue but this is the first time that the teams will actually meet face to face,” an EU Council official told Tanjug. Head of the European External Action Service (EEAS) for Russia, Eastern Neighborhood and the Western Balkans Miroslav Lajcak also says that there is no reason to delay the talks. “Everything is ready for the beginning of the dialogue and there is no reason to delay it,” he said. He did not, however, officially confirm that the talks would begin on March 8 as Serbia and Kosovo’s officials had announced. “The philosophy of the approach is to primarily focus the dialogue on the issues that are directly affecting the lives of people and whose solving will make life simpler, help the regional atmosphere, regional trade and communication,” Lajcak pointed out. He also said that the EU took the organ trafficking and organized crime accusations against Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci very seriously but that it respected the principle that somebody was innocent until proven otherwise. “EULEX mission has our mandate to investigate the accusations very seriously, which EULEX is doing,” Lajcak stressed. Miroslav Lajcak (Tanjug, file) Tahiri: There’s room for solution To Pristina authorities, the issues that will be discussed during the upcoming talks are technical ones, said Pristina negotiating team head Edita Tahiri in Washington. She also added that there was enough room to find a solution. “We are ready to enter the negotiations in a positive spirit and show creativity, but without getting into our independence, sovereignty, indivisibility and territorial integrity,“ she pointed out. On the other hand, she stressed that “there is room between our red lines and the other side's red lines“. When asked whether Pristina was politically and technically prepared for the talks, Tahiri said that “Kosovo has a history of being prepared to talk“, stating the Rambouillet and Vienna talks as examples and pointing out that Albanians “were constructive every time“.

"Dialogue is opportunity for positive changes”

Even though details about the beginning of the talks have not been released yet, there is unofficial information from Brussels that the EU is planning on pointing out to both sides that it sees the negotiations as an opportunity to change things for the better.

“We will insist on this although it has already been done during the preparations for the dialogue but this is the first time that the teams will actually meet face to face,” an EU Council official told Tanjug.

Head of the European External Action Service (EEAS) for Russia, Eastern Neighborhood and the Western Balkans Miroslav Lajčak also says that there is no reason to delay the talks.

“Everything is ready for the beginning of the dialogue and there is no reason to delay it,” he said. He did not, however, officially confirm that the talks would begin on March 8 as Serbia and Kosovo’s officials had announced.

“The philosophy of the approach is to primarily focus the dialogue on the issues that are directly affecting the lives of people and whose solving will make life simpler, help the regional atmosphere, regional trade and communication,” Lajčak pointed out.

He also said that the EU took the organ trafficking and organized crime accusations against Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci very seriously but that it respected the principle that somebody was innocent until proven otherwise.

“EULEX mission has our mandate to investigate the accusations very seriously, which EULEX is doing,” Lajčak stressed.

Tahiri: There’s room for solution

To Priština authorities, the issues that will be discussed during the upcoming talks are technical ones, said Priština negotiating team head Edita Tahiri in Washington.

She also added that there was enough room to find a solution.

“We are ready to enter the negotiations in a positive spirit and show creativity, but without getting into our independence, sovereignty, indivisibility and territorial integrity,“ she pointed out.

On the other hand, she stressed that “there is room between our red lines and the other side's red lines“.

When asked whether Priština was politically and technically prepared for the talks, Tahiri said that “Kosovo has a history of being prepared to talk“, stating the Rambouillet and Vienna talks as examples and pointing out that Albanians “were constructive every time“.