Belgrade-Priština agreement is “within reach“

BELGRADE An agreement on a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo is within reach, British Ambassador to Serbia Michael Davenport has said. “If it is achieved, that will be an important step toward a normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina,” he added. Belgrade-Pristina agreement is “within reach“ Davenport, who gave this estimate based on statements of those who are directly involved in negotiations, told Belgrade-based daily Danas that the agreement required a compromise of both sides. “My government gives the most sincere support to the dialogue, organized under the auspices of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. One should not disregard that the process has already yielded many concrete things,” Davenport said Asked whether another meeting between representatives of Belgrade and Pristina might take place in Brussels despite Ashton's announcement that this week's round was the last formal meeting, Davenport said the two sides should work toward reaching an agreement in line with the set time frames about which Ashton was talking about. “In practice, that would mean further engagement on meeting the criteria that the European Council put forward in its conclusions of December 2012,” the ambassador explained. Davenport qualified as encouraging the active participation of Serbia's key political leaders in the dialogue. “Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and his first deputy Aleksandar Vucic are fully committed to the dialogue, and I know that they both care a lot about a positive outcome of the talks with Pristina. Further progress in this process would depend on their sincere and constructive participation,” the ambassador said. When asked if it would automatically mean Serbia would not be granted a starting date for EU entry talks, if no agreement was reached with Pristina, Davenport said that the conclusions of the European Council concerning the criteria that Serbia would have to fulfill were still valid. “I think that, at this moment, all energy and attention should be focused on reaching an agreement that would be a true contribution to the historic normalization of relations,” Davenport said. The eighth round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue ended on April 2 without any agreement, and Ashton has announced that as far as she was concerned, the political dialogue was over, and she expected Belgrade and Pristina to inform her about their decisions. Michael Davenport (Beta, file) Tanjug

Belgrade-Priština agreement is “within reach“

Davenport, who gave this estimate based on statements of those who are directly involved in negotiations, told Belgrade-based daily Danas that the agreement required a compromise of both sides.

“My government gives the most sincere support to the dialogue, organized under the auspices of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. One should not disregard that the process has already yielded many concrete things,” Davenport said

Asked whether another meeting between representatives of Belgrade and Priština might take place in Brussels despite Ashton's announcement that this week's round was the last formal meeting, Davenport said the two sides should work toward reaching an agreement in line with the set time frames about which Ashton was talking about.

“In practice, that would mean further engagement on meeting the criteria that the European Council put forward in its conclusions of December 2012,” the ambassador explained.

Davenport qualified as encouraging the active participation of Serbia's key political leaders in the dialogue.

“Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić and his first deputy Aleksandar Vučić are fully committed to the dialogue, and I know that they both care a lot about a positive outcome of the talks with Priština. Further progress in this process would depend on their sincere and constructive participation,” the ambassador said.

When asked if it would automatically mean Serbia would not be granted a starting date for EU entry talks, if no agreement was reached with Priština, Davenport said that the conclusions of the European Council concerning the criteria that Serbia would have to fulfill were still valid.

“I think that, at this moment, all energy and attention should be focused on reaching an agreement that would be a true contribution to the historic normalization of relations,” Davenport said.

The eighth round of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue ended on April 2 without any agreement, and Ashton has announced that as far as she was concerned, the political dialogue was over, and she expected Belgrade and Priština to inform her about their decisions.