Deputy PM: We knew about EU conditions

Serbian Deputy PM Bozidar Djelic says that solutions to open issues with Kosovo are not new conditions for Serbia to get the EU candidate status. Finding solutions to the issues of customs stamps, administrative crossings and participation of Kosovo officials in regional meetings is not a new condition for getting the EU candidate status, he pointed out. Deputy PM: We knew about EU conditions “Serbian authorities were informed about that in December last year,” he pointed out. The deputy prime minister told B92 that the Action plan for getting the EU candidate status contained those issues. Djelic said that Belgrade was, ahead of the new round of talks with Pristina, preparing several proposals to solve the disputable issues. The new round of talks with Pristina will be held on September 2 and customs stamps and participation of Kosovo officials in regional meetings are expected to be discussed. “It is no secret that we were close to finding a solution in July, but Pristina’s unilateral actions have depreciated the dialogue,” the deputy prime minister pointed out. “Events in north Kosovo should be understood in that context. We will do our best to get to a compromise when it comes to the stamps, but certainly not at the expense of crossing our state policy’s red line,” he stressed. “As far as customs is concerned, all solutions that in some indirect way do not force ‘crawling’ recognition of Kosovo are acceptable for Serbia and there are a lot of options there. We have already come out with a number of proposals. We now once again have the conditions for the dialogue,” Djelic explained. He also announced the first Serbia-EU forum that will be organized by the Serbian government on September 8-10. The forum will be attended by more than 400 participants from various European countries and it will be opened by Serbian President Boris Tadic and Council of Europe President Herman Van Rompuy. Bozidar Djelic

Deputy PM: We knew about EU conditions

“Serbian authorities were informed about that in December last year,” he pointed out.

The deputy prime minister told B92 that the Action plan for getting the EU candidate status contained those issues. Đelić said that Belgrade was, ahead of the new round of talks with Priština, preparing several proposals to solve the disputable issues.

The new round of talks with Priština will be held on September 2 and customs stamps and participation of Kosovo officials in regional meetings are expected to be discussed.

“It is no secret that we were close to finding a solution in July, but Priština’s unilateral actions have depreciated the dialogue,” the deputy prime minister pointed out.

“Events in north Kosovo should be understood in that context. We will do our best to get to a compromise when it comes to the stamps, but certainly not at the expense of crossing our state policy’s red line,” he stressed.

“As far as customs is concerned, all solutions that in some indirect way do not force ‘crawling’ recognition of Kosovo are acceptable for Serbia and there are a lot of options there. We have already come out with a number of proposals. We now once again have the conditions for the dialogue,” Đelić explained.

He also announced the first Serbia-EU forum that will be organized by the Serbian government on September 8-10. The forum will be attended by more than 400 participants from various European countries and it will be opened by Serbian President Boris Tadić and Council of Europe President Herman Van Rompuy.