Minister: Procedures agreed in Brussels observed

Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic said on Tuesday that the procedure Pristina and Belgrade agreed on in Brussels is fully observed. He dismissed the claims made by Kosovo Albanian officials in Pristina that "people carrying Kosovo IDs are not allowed to cross the Merdare checkpoint and enter central Serbia". Minister: Procedures agreed in Brussels observed "The procedure agreed in Brussels is being observed and carried out at all crossings, and people with Kosovo IDs can normally enter central Serbia. Maybe it takes more time to carry it out because of the holiday traffic jams, but Pristina is using this to make Brussels exert pressure on Belgrade. This is nothing new, as they have been trying for months now to raise technical issues onto the political level," Bogdanovic said in a statement for Tanjug. Head of Pristina's team in negotiations with Belgrade Edita Tahiri demanded from EU mediator in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Robert Cooper to make pressure on Belgrade to fully imply the agreement on freedom of movement. According to Kosovo Sot, a Pristina daily, Tahiri informed Cooper about problems at Merdare, where she said persons carrying Kosovo IDs are being prevented from entering central Serbia. On the other hand, the daily reports, Cooper said he received assurances from the Serbian side that freedom of movement would be normalized in the shortest possible time. On Monday, Tahiri's advisor Dren Zeka also said that Brussels was urged to make pressure on Belgrade to implement the agreement on freedom of movement. Belgrade's lead negotiator in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Borislav Stefanoviccagreed that Pristina is using technical issues to create new problems. "Pristina is always doing that to convince its own public that the blame rests with the other side; in this particular case, it is blaming the other side for traffic jams," Stefanovic told Tanjug. Goran Bogdanovic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Minister: Procedures agreed in Brussels observed

"The procedure agreed in Brussels is being observed and carried out at all crossings, and people with Kosovo IDs can normally enter central Serbia. Maybe it takes more time to carry it out because of the holiday traffic jams, but Priština is using this to make Brussels exert pressure on Belgrade. This is nothing new, as they have been trying for months now to raise technical issues onto the political level," Bogdanović said in a statement for Tanjug.

Head of Priština's team in negotiations with Belgrade Edita Tahiri demanded from EU mediator in the Belgrade-Priština dialogue Robert Cooper to make pressure on Belgrade to fully imply the agreement on freedom of movement.

According to Kosovo Sot, a Priština daily, Tahiri informed Cooper about problems at Merdare, where she said persons carrying Kosovo IDs are being prevented from entering central Serbia.

On the other hand, the daily reports, Cooper said he received assurances from the Serbian side that freedom of movement would be normalized in the shortest possible time.

On Monday, Tahiri's advisor Dren Zeka also said that Brussels was urged to make pressure on Belgrade to implement the agreement on freedom of movement.

Belgrade's lead negotiator in the Belgrade-Priština dialogue Borislav Stefanovicćagreed that Priština is using technical issues to create new problems.

"Priština is always doing that to convince its own public that the blame rests with the other side; in this particular case, it is blaming the other side for traffic jams," Stefanović told Tanjug.