Serbian FM tours region, travels to Albania

BELGRADE Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic announced that he would visit Albania as part of his tour of the region on Monday. The trip will represet the first visit by a Serbian foreign minister to this country "in a long while", Tanjug is reporting. Serbian FM tours region, travels to Albania “A foreign minister (of Serbia) has not been there for quite some time. I am confident that we will create a foundation for a better cooperation,” Mrkic has said in an interview for the Sunday edition of Politika, a Belgrade-based daily. Mrkic said that after Tirana, he will go to Ljubljana, adding that he was very pleased about having had the opportunity to meet and talk with colleagues from Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Romania, Greece and Italy, and Hungary, with whom he had met briefly in New York. “I hope that I will soon meet with Foreign Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu. Relations in the region are very important to us,” said Mrkic. Speaking abot a new platform on Kosovo prepared by the Serbian authorities, he said it was an attempt to affirm Belgrade's approach on the issue and the goal is for it draw as broad acceptance as possible, and added that "nothing sensationally new should be expected". “This (platform) is not something about this government or someone's private affair. It has to drum up a substantial support,” Mrkic told the newspaper. The Serbian foreign minister said that Kosovo platform is a priority task, adding, however, that other developments would be there soon that would have to be responded to. “If we were only creating a platform for Kosovo, we would complete this really fast, but we do not have that luxury, unfortunately,” said Mrkic. When asked if a solution that had not been there until now would emerge from the current governemnt efforts, Mrkic said that “nothing cardinally new” could be offered. “We cannot expect any sensational new option. We will be as pragmatic as possible in order to secure and protect our people in Kosovo,” said Mrkic. Commenting on the meeting between EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci held in Brussels on Friday, the Serbian foreign minister said it was “very important in itself". He pointed out that the decision of the Serbian government to have Prime Minister Ivica Dacic respond to the invitation of Catherine Ashton and go to Brussels for a meeting with Taci had been supported by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic. “We went to Brussels to see if we can get the political dialogue going,” Mrkic said. “It took us a little longer to see what should constitute the framework of this dialogue, he added. Our desire to participate, something that the new Serbian government and president confirmed earlier, is the greatest proof that we want a political dialogue, Mrkic said. Ivan Mrkic (Tanjug, file) Politika Tanjug

Serbian FM tours region, travels to Albania

“A foreign minister (of Serbia) has not been there for quite some time. I am confident that we will create a foundation for a better cooperation,” Mrkić has said in an interview for the Sunday edition of Politika, a Belgrade-based daily.

Mrkić said that after Tirana, he will go to Ljubljana, adding that he was very pleased about having had the opportunity to meet and talk with colleagues from Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Romania, Greece and Italy, and Hungary, with whom he had met briefly in New York.

“I hope that I will soon meet with Foreign Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu. Relations in the region are very important to us,” said Mrkić.

Speaking abot a new platform on Kosovo prepared by the Serbian authorities, he said it was an attempt to affirm Belgrade's approach on the issue and the goal is for it draw as broad acceptance as possible, and added that "nothing sensationally new should be expected".

“This (platform) is not something about this government or someone's private affair. It has to drum up a substantial support,” Mrkić told the newspaper.

The Serbian foreign minister said that Kosovo platform is a priority task, adding, however, that other developments would be there soon that would have to be responded to.

“If we were only creating a platform for Kosovo, we would complete this really fast, but we do not have that luxury, unfortunately,” said Mrkić.

When asked if a solution that had not been there until now would emerge from the current governemnt efforts, Mrkić said that “nothing cardinally new” could be offered.

“We cannot expect any sensational new option. We will be as pragmatic as possible in order to secure and protect our people in Kosovo,” said Mrkić.

Commenting on the meeting between EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci held in Brussels on Friday, the Serbian foreign minister said it was “very important in itself".

He pointed out that the decision of the Serbian government to have Prime Minister Ivica Dacic respond to the invitation of Catherine Ashton and go to Brussels for a meeting with Taci had been supported by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic.

“We went to Brussels to see if we can get the political dialogue going,” Mrkić said. “It took us a little longer to see what should constitute the framework of this dialogue, he added.

Our desire to participate, something that the new Serbian government and president confirmed earlier, is the greatest proof that we want a political dialogue, Mrkić said.