New proposal is much better, advisor says

BRUSSELS A 15-point proposal is now on the table which is much better than the previous one, says presidential advisor Marko Djuric. He noted that the 14th point referring to the EU integration was problematic. New proposal is much better, advisor says According to Djuric, the new proposal for powers for the community of Serb municipalities in northern is much better, especially when it comes to police and judiciary. He stressed that the proposal contained 15 points that EU High Representative Catherine Ashton presented to Belgrade and Pristina teams. Djuric said that the Kosovo Albanian side did not accept Ashton’s proposal for the police. According to the proposal, the community of Serb municipalities would have a direct power to choose a regional police commander and ethnic composition of the police would match the ethnic composition of the population. “The earlier proposal to include the municipalities Southern Mitrovica, Vucitrn and Srbica, in which Albanians make up a majority, in the community of Serb municipalities is no longer on the table,” Djuric added. “A proposal is also better for the judiciary, there are more powers, better organization of courts envisages greater presence of Serb judges in the north and areas with the majority Serb population,” he said. The presidential advisor stressed that a big problem was the fact that Pristina did not accept a part of Ashton’s proposal on the two sides’ EU integration. “The Albanian side wants it to refer to the membership in the international organizations,” he added. Djuric said that the draft agreement was not comprehensive and that it did not cover all the problems that needed to be solved. The latest round of the negotiations ended without an agreement late on Wednesday. Marko Djuric (Tanjug, file) B92 Beta

New proposal is much better, advisor says

According to Đurić, the new proposal for powers for the community of Serb municipalities in northern is much better, especially when it comes to police and judiciary.

He stressed that the proposal contained 15 points that EU High Representative Catherine Ashton presented to Belgrade and Priština teams.

Đurić said that the Kosovo Albanian side did not accept Ashton’s proposal for the police.

According to the proposal, the community of Serb municipalities would have a direct power to choose a regional police commander and ethnic composition of the police would match the ethnic composition of the population.

“The earlier proposal to include the municipalities Southern Mitrovica, Vučitrn and Srbica, in which Albanians make up a majority, in the community of Serb municipalities is no longer on the table,” Đurić added.

“A proposal is also better for the judiciary, there are more powers, better organization of courts envisages greater presence of Serb judges in the north and areas with the majority Serb population,” he said.

The presidential advisor stressed that a big problem was the fact that Priština did not accept a part of Ashton’s proposal on the two sides’ EU integration.

“The Albanian side wants it to refer to the membership in the international organizations,” he added.

Đurić said that the draft agreement was not comprehensive and that it did not cover all the problems that needed to be solved.

The latest round of the negotiations ended without an agreement late on Wednesday.