“Top state officials in agreement on Kosovo issue”

BELGRADE Top state officials are united on the Kosovo issue and whoever attends the next round of the dialogue will convey messages that are a result of the agreement. This is according to MPs of the ruling coalition while the biggest opposition party, the Democratic Party (DS), believes that there are differences among them. “Top state officials in agreement on Kosovo issue” While the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and United Regions of Serbia (URS) point out that there are no rifts among the top officials when it comes to the solving of the Kosovo issue, the DS points out that there are differences among them. Serbian parliament’s Committee on Kosovo Milovan Drecun stressed that the entire government backed PM Ivica Dacic in the negotiations, including First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vucic and the SNS. "Maybe someone thinks we might need to strengthen our team, but I remind you that the delegation includes advisor to the Serbian president Marko Djuric and Head of the Office for Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin. Who is directly involved in the talks does not change the essence of the matter - no one can reach an agreement which would be anything different from what the state leaders agree on," said Drecun. SPS MP Djordje Milicevic said that the senior state officials were united, committed and determined to solve the Kosovo issue. “Whoever goes to Brussels will convey messages that are a result of the top officials’ agreement,” he said when asked about media reports that Washington and Brussels insisted on Vucic’s more active involvement in the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations. He stressed that Serbia had in the dialogue clearly showed it wanted a compromise but that there were some red lines it would not cross, such as executive powers for a community of Serb municipalities. URS whip Vladimir Ilic also agrees that the ruling coalition is absolutely united. Commenting on the reports that Vucic is asked to take part in the dialogue, he said that Serbia had an official delegation empowered by both parliament and the first deputy PM and that Vucic had stressed himself several times that he supported the negotiating team. DS whip Borislav Stefanovic believes that “there are different views among the ruling majority regarding the solving of the Kosovo issue, especially between the government and the president and obviously in the SNS”. “I personally think that they will not manage to solve it and that we will, among other things, go to the polls this year because of that,” he explained. As far as Vucic’s participation in the dialogue is concerned, Stefanovic said that he saw it as the western partners’ understanding that no decision could be made without him and that it was impossible for the Serbian prime minister to reach an agreement. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) MP Zoran Ostojic believes that “some agreement” will be reached in Brussels but he pointed out that the implementation and realization would be the most important issues. “I think some paper will be signed that means implementation of the Ahtisaari plan for northern Kosovo but we will see what will happen with the implementation,” he said and added that it was important for Vucic to participate in the negotiations but also to keep his promise and meet with Kosovo Deputy PM Slobodan Petrovic. The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) advocates the suspension of the dialogue and says that EU High Representative Catherine Ashton’s document is completely unacceptable. “I am convinced that our team will not accept such document and that it will try to prolong the dialogue or stop it. Given the current situation, I think we will play extra time,” DSS deputy leader Sanda Raskovic Ivic has said. Commenting on the media reports about Vucic’s participation in the dialogue, she said that he had been invited not because there were differences among the senior state officials but in order to strengthen the team and share the responsibility. (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

“Top state officials in agreement on Kosovo issue”

While the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and United Regions of Serbia (URS) point out that there are no rifts among the top officials when it comes to the solving of the Kosovo issue, the DS points out that there are differences among them.

Serbian parliament’s Committee on Kosovo Milovan Drecun stressed that the entire government backed PM Ivica Dačić in the negotiations, including First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vučić and the SNS.

"Maybe someone thinks we might need to strengthen our team, but I remind you that the delegation includes advisor to the Serbian president Marko Đurić and Head of the Office for Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin. Who is directly involved in the talks does not change the essence of the matter - no one can reach an agreement which would be anything different from what the state leaders agree on," said Drecun.

SPS MP Đorđe Milićević said that the senior state officials were united, committed and determined to solve the Kosovo issue.

“Whoever goes to Brussels will convey messages that are a result of the top officials’ agreement,” he said when asked about media reports that Washington and Brussels insisted on Vučić’s more active involvement in the Belgrade-Priština negotiations.

He stressed that Serbia had in the dialogue clearly showed it wanted a compromise but that there were some red lines it would not cross, such as executive powers for a community of Serb municipalities.

URS whip Vladimir Ilić also agrees that the ruling coalition is absolutely united.

Commenting on the reports that Vučić is asked to take part in the dialogue, he said that Serbia had an official delegation empowered by both parliament and the first deputy PM and that Vučić had stressed himself several times that he supported the negotiating team.

DS whip Borislav Stefanović believes that “there are different views among the ruling majority regarding the solving of the Kosovo issue, especially between the government and the president and obviously in the SNS”.

“I personally think that they will not manage to solve it and that we will, among other things, go to the polls this year because of that,” he explained.

As far as Vučić’s participation in the dialogue is concerned, Stefanović said that he saw it as the western partners’ understanding that no decision could be made without him and that it was impossible for the Serbian prime minister to reach an agreement.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) MP Zoran Ostojić believes that “some agreement” will be reached in Brussels but he pointed out that the implementation and realization would be the most important issues.

“I think some paper will be signed that means implementation of the Ahtisaari plan for northern Kosovo but we will see what will happen with the implementation,” he said and added that it was important for Vučić to participate in the negotiations but also to keep his promise and meet with Kosovo Deputy PM Slobodan Petrović.

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) advocates the suspension of the dialogue and says that EU High Representative Catherine Ashton’s document is completely unacceptable.

“I am convinced that our team will not accept such document and that it will try to prolong the dialogue or stop it. Given the current situation, I think we will play extra time,” DSS deputy leader Sanda Rašković Ivić has said.

Commenting on the media reports about Vučić’s participation in the dialogue, she said that he had been invited not because there were differences among the senior state officials but in order to strengthen the team and share the responsibility.