Dačić and Thaci to discuss "institutions and officers"

BRUSSELS A new round of the political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina facilitated by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton will begin on Tuesday in Brussels. When Serbian PM Ivica Dacic and his counterpart in Pristina, Hashim Thaci, meet, they will discuss "institutions in northern Kosovo and the status of liaison officers as their main topic", Tanjug is reporting. Dacic and Thaci to discuss "institutions and officers" The two will first meet with Ashton separately, and then have a working lunch together, after which the talks will formally begin, the news agency said it learned on Monday from the European Commission. An EC official who wanted to remain anonymous said it was highly likely the talks would roll over into Wednesday due to the complexity of the issues on the agenda. This will be the toughest round yet, he said. Belgrade and Pristina had previously announced that this round will focus primarily on the issue of institutions in northern Kosovo which Pristina refers to as parallel - the courts, tax administration and security structures. "We are going to Brussels to talk about the functioning of institutions, which means that on one hand, the talks will address the issue of parallel institutions and on the other, the specific position of Serbs, as Catherine Ashton defines it, i.e. what would constitute autonomy there, i.e. a community of Serb municipalities," Dacic explained. Thaci's deputy Hajredin Kuci said that Thaci would demand the establishment of a municipal court in Northern Kosovska Mitrovica, which the local Serbs oppose. The mixed-team court supervised by EULEX has been closed for five years, ever since demonstrators stopped judges and prosecutors from entering the courthouse. The second topic of the dialogue are Serbian security structures in Kosovo, meaning the police and secret services which Pristina claims are active in the north and must withdraw. In a statement on Sunday, Dacic veered from Belgrade's official position that these structures do not exist in Kosovo for the first time by saying that "it was Kosovo Serbs themselves who reported on the presence of the Serbian Interior Ministry to Pristina". "I'm supposed to be convincing them that we have no police, when Serbs themselves gave them license plates and data. Well, what are we talking about here?" wondered Dacic. The two sides are also expected to finalize an agreement on the exchange of liaison officers which was reached in principle during the previous round in January. "In fact, it is no longer clear at all what has been agreed," a Brussels-based diplomat with insight into the dialogue told Tanjug, and added that working groups did not reach agreement on the details concerning the mandate of liaison officers, who will be working in EU premises in Belgrade and Pristina. Pristina would like to see its representative in Belgrade enjoy a diplomatic status, but Serbia rejects this possibility. If progress is made, Tanjug said, it will significantly improve Serbia's chances of being given a date for the start of EU membership talks in June. Tanjug

Dačić and Thaci to discuss "institutions and officers"

The two will first meet with Ashton separately, and then have a working lunch together, after which the talks will formally begin, the news agency said it learned on Monday from the European Commission.

An EC official who wanted to remain anonymous said it was highly likely the talks would roll over into Wednesday due to the complexity of the issues on the agenda.

This will be the toughest round yet, he said.

Belgrade and Priština had previously announced that this round will focus primarily on the issue of institutions in northern Kosovo which Priština refers to as parallel - the courts, tax administration and security structures.

"We are going to Brussels to talk about the functioning of institutions, which means that on one hand, the talks will address the issue of parallel institutions and on the other, the specific position of Serbs, as Catherine Ashton defines it, i.e. what would constitute autonomy there, i.e. a community of Serb municipalities," Dačić explained.

Thaci's deputy Hajredin Kuci said that Thaci would demand the establishment of a municipal court in Northern Kosovska Mitrovica, which the local Serbs oppose.

The mixed-team court supervised by EULEX has been closed for five years, ever since demonstrators stopped judges and prosecutors from entering the courthouse.

The second topic of the dialogue are Serbian security structures in Kosovo, meaning the police and secret services which Priština claims are active in the north and must withdraw.

In a statement on Sunday, Dačić veered from Belgrade's official position that these structures do not exist in Kosovo for the first time by saying that "it was Kosovo Serbs themselves who reported on the presence of the Serbian Interior Ministry to Priština".

"I'm supposed to be convincing them that we have no police, when Serbs themselves gave them license plates and data. Well, what are we talking about here?" wondered Dačić.

The two sides are also expected to finalize an agreement on the exchange of liaison officers which was reached in principle during the previous round in January.

"In fact, it is no longer clear at all what has been agreed," a Brussels-based diplomat with insight into the dialogue told Tanjug, and added that working groups did not reach agreement on the details concerning the mandate of liaison officers, who will be working in EU premises in Belgrade and Priština.

Priština would like to see its representative in Belgrade enjoy a diplomatic status, but Serbia rejects this possibility.

If progress is made, Tanjug said, it will significantly improve Serbia's chances of being given a date for the start of EU membership talks in June.