PM: Serbia wants to achieve two key goals

BELGRADE Senior state officials are absolutely united on the platform and resolution for the talks with Pristina, Serbia’s Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has stated. “We are now embarking on a project to realize our two key goals - a lasting and sustainable solution for Kosovo and our next step towards the EU,” he told daily Vecernje novosti. PM: Serbia wants to achieve two key goals He dismissed claims of serious disagreements inside the government over the Kosovo issue and said all partners had approved certain phrasings in the documents, which they had "viewed in different ways." "The documents are not a result of any contest, but of long talks and consultations during which we tried to come up with the best possible phrasing. The final draft was approved by all political factors in power, including President Tomislav Nikolic," he said. According to Dacic, certain articles were simply phrased "in the way we think is best." "There were no arguments or clashes, rather we discussed which tactic to apply so that the platform would help us achieve our goal - getting a date for accession talks with the EU," said the prime minister. Asked whether Serbs in northern Kosovo had reason to fear the state would withdraw from the territory, the prime minister said Serbia "has been and will be present in Kosovo, this is not in question," adding that no citizens, wherever they lived, would be left to fend for themselves. "The platform proposed a kind of autonomy for Serb municipalities, i.e. a group of Serb municipalities. They would keep their original authorities. Efforts to establish this autonomy should have begun earlier. Now someone is asking us to abolish them, but if they are no longer institutions of the state of Serbia, it is unknown who they would belong to," Dacic was quoted as saying. He said the issue would be addressed at his upcoming meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. "We need institutions that will be recognized both by Pristina and Kosovo Serbs," added the prime minister. He also said that the government would not fall because of the platform on Kosovo, combat against corruption or because of runaway drug lord Darko Saric. Ivica Dacic (Beta, file) Tanjug Vecernje novosti

PM: Serbia wants to achieve two key goals

He dismissed claims of serious disagreements inside the government over the Kosovo issue and said all partners had approved certain phrasings in the documents, which they had "viewed in different ways."

"The documents are not a result of any contest, but of long talks and consultations during which we tried to come up with the best possible phrasing. The final draft was approved by all political factors in power, including President Tomislav Nikolić," he said.

According to Dačić, certain articles were simply phrased "in the way we think is best."

"There were no arguments or clashes, rather we discussed which tactic to apply so that the platform would help us achieve our goal - getting a date for accession talks with the EU," said the prime minister.

Asked whether Serbs in northern Kosovo had reason to fear the state would withdraw from the territory, the prime minister said Serbia "has been and will be present in Kosovo, this is not in question," adding that no citizens, wherever they lived, would be left to fend for themselves.

"The platform proposed a kind of autonomy for Serb municipalities, i.e. a group of Serb municipalities. They would keep their original authorities. Efforts to establish this autonomy should have begun earlier. Now someone is asking us to abolish them, but if they are no longer institutions of the state of Serbia, it is unknown who they would belong to," Dačić was quoted as saying.

He said the issue would be addressed at his upcoming meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.

"We need institutions that will be recognized both by Priština and Kosovo Serbs," added the prime minister.

He also said that the government would not fall because of the platform on Kosovo, combat against corruption or because of runaway drug lord Darko Šarić.