PM: Meeting in Brussels won't be about status

ROME, ZAGREB PM Ivica Dacic has said that his meeting with Hashim Thaci scheduled for Wednesday in Brussels would not discuss the status of Kosovo. It will be "another step toward the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina" - however, "mutual recognition" was, according to him, "out of the question". PM: Meeting in Brussels won't be about status The Serbian prime minister was speaking in Rome, where he is meeting with Italian officials and attending an Interpol conference. "It is absolutely impossible that Serbia will recognize Kosovo's independence declared in this manner," Dacic told reporters. Asked to comment on Thaci's that "the whole process would end in mutual recognition", Dacic said: "He can say whatever he likes, just as I could say whatever I like, but I do not want to. We have no problem discussing total and complete normalization of relations, which means an agreement with Serbia and compromise." According to Dacic, it is important that the EU mediate the dialogue in a status-neutral way and not force Serbia to do something in order to get a stating date for EU accession talks or membership. "We have initiative, we want this matter resolved as soon as possible, but in order for that to happen, the proposals need to respect the legitimate interests of both Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo," he said. Dacic said Wednesday's meeting with the EU high representative and Kosovo's prime minister, their second, was a continuation of the process. "This is not any spectacular meeting, it is part of what we agreed about - to continue and maintain a dialogue, to talk about issues openly," he said. Adding that he expected the meeting to touch on many topics, Dacic said their first meeting had been well received in the world and it was very important for Serbia to continue the trend. In Dacic's opinion, it is important that the issue is not handed down to future generations. "If this government does not resolve it, it is hard to believe any other would dare to tackle it," he said. Meanwhile in Zagreb, where Thaci is on a visit this Tuesday, a news conference heard that the meeting in Brussels tomorrow will be "about the implementation of the agreements reached so far between Belgrade and Pristina". Thaci also said that the status of Kosovo would not be discussed. According to him, Belgrade should "give up on parallel security structures in Kosovo", while it was "important to urgently solve the fate of 1,800 missing Albanians". Asked whether he was ready to discuss Serbia's platform for Kosovo with Dacic. Thaci said that Serbia "had no moral, political or legal right to solve issues in Kosovo", and went on to state that this was the case because the status of Kosovo was "solved once and for all with the declaration of independence". Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence of the province in early 2008, but Serbia rejected that proclamation as illegal under its Constitution. Ivica Dacic (file) Tanjug

PM: Meeting in Brussels won't be about status

The Serbian prime minister was speaking in Rome, where he is meeting with Italian officials and attending an Interpol conference.

"It is absolutely impossible that Serbia will recognize Kosovo's independence declared in this manner," Dačić told reporters. Asked to comment on Thaci's that "the whole process would end in mutual recognition", Dačić said:

"He can say whatever he likes, just as I could say whatever I like, but I do not want to. We have no problem discussing total and complete normalization of relations, which means an agreement with Serbia and compromise."

According to Dačić, it is important that the EU mediate the dialogue in a status-neutral way and not force Serbia to do something in order to get a stating date for EU accession talks or membership.

"We have initiative, we want this matter resolved as soon as possible, but in order for that to happen, the proposals need to respect the legitimate interests of both Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo," he said.

Dačić said Wednesday's meeting with the EU high representative and Kosovo's prime minister, their second, was a continuation of the process.

"This is not any spectacular meeting, it is part of what we agreed about - to continue and maintain a dialogue, to talk about issues openly," he said.

Adding that he expected the meeting to touch on many topics, Dačić said their first meeting had been well received in the world and it was very important for Serbia to continue the trend.

In Dačić's opinion, it is important that the issue is not handed down to future generations.

"If this government does not resolve it, it is hard to believe any other would dare to tackle it," he said.

Meanwhile in Zagreb, where Thaci is on a visit this Tuesday, a news conference heard that the meeting in Brussels tomorrow will be "about the implementation of the agreements reached so far between Belgrade and Priština".

Thaci also said that the status of Kosovo would not be discussed.

According to him, Belgrade should "give up on parallel security structures in Kosovo", while it was "important to urgently solve the fate of 1,800 missing Albanians".

Asked whether he was ready to discuss Serbia's platform for Kosovo with Dačić. Thaci said that Serbia "had no moral, political or legal right to solve issues in Kosovo", and went on to state that this was the case because the status of Kosovo was "solved once and for all with the declaration of independence".

Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence of the province in early 2008, but Serbia rejected that proclamation as illegal under its Constitution.