PM: Conditions fulfilled for EU negotiations

BRUSSELS Ivica Dacic has said that an agreement had been reached with Pristina on the issues concerning telecommunications and energy. Serbia has fulfilled the conditions for the start of accession negotiations with the EU, he also said. PM: Conditions fulfilled for EU negotiations The prime minister spoke late on Sunday after his talks in Brussels with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, to add that Pristina "will fulfill all the commitments made in the preparation of the November elections in Kosovo," and emphasized that the ballots will "status-neutral". ''Serbia has fulfilled all its obligations and nothing can stop us from starting accession negotiations with the EU in January or even earlier," Dacic told reporters. When it comes to local elections in Kosovo, he said that it was agreed that the Serbs will have representatives at polling stations and that "it will be allowed for Serbs to register in voter files." As for the question of the name of the single Serb list to which Pristina objected to because of the word Serbia, Dacic said it was "less important than well-organized elections and as many Serbs as possible turning out." ''That's not the only list, there is a list called Montenegro'', he was further quoted as saying. According to Dacic, the agreements that were reached on Sunday regarding electricity and telecommunications "will for now have no consequences for the Serb population in Kosovo." '' Mobile operators will continue to work and phone calls between Kosovo and central Serbia will be charged as usual as local, not as international calls, and it will be so until the announcement of the tender which will be the possible in 2015 at the earliest," he stated. The prime minister also said that Kosovo will "only in several years' time" get an international calling code, and noted that this was "required by procedure." Dacic stated that the situation with electricity supply will not change in the foreseeable future - and that the property issues "have been put aside for the time being." He also announced that the next round of the Brussels dialogue would be held only after the local elections in Kosovo, scheduled for November 3, but that talks would continue at the working group level. Dacic said that the Serbian side "fully safeguarded the state and the nation," and called on Serbs in Kosovo to participate in the November elections in as large numbers as possible. The prime minister noted First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic also participated in Sunday's round of the dialogue. (Beta, file) Beta Tanjug

PM: Conditions fulfilled for EU negotiations

The prime minister spoke late on Sunday after his talks in Brussels with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, to add that Priština "will fulfill all the commitments made in the preparation of the November elections in Kosovo," and emphasized that the ballots will "status-neutral".

''Serbia has fulfilled all its obligations and nothing can stop us from starting accession negotiations with the EU in January or even earlier," Dačić told reporters.

When it comes to local elections in Kosovo, he said that it was agreed that the Serbs will have representatives at polling stations and that "it will be allowed for Serbs to register in voter files."

As for the question of the name of the single Serb list to which Priština objected to because of the word Serbia, Dačić said it was "less important than well-organized elections and as many Serbs as possible turning out."

''That's not the only list, there is a list called Montenegro'', he was further quoted as saying.

According to Dačić, the agreements that were reached on Sunday regarding electricity and telecommunications "will for now have no consequences for the Serb population in Kosovo."

'' Mobile operators will continue to work and phone calls between Kosovo and central Serbia will be charged as usual as local, not as international calls, and it will be so until the announcement of the tender which will be the possible in 2015 at the earliest," he stated.

The prime minister also said that Kosovo will "only in several years' time" get an international calling code, and noted that this was "required by procedure."

Dačić stated that the situation with electricity supply will not change in the foreseeable future - and that the property issues "have been put aside for the time being."

He also announced that the next round of the Brussels dialogue would be held only after the local elections in Kosovo, scheduled for November 3, but that talks would continue at the working group level.

Dačić said that the Serbian side "fully safeguarded the state and the nation," and called on Serbs in Kosovo to participate in the November elections in as large numbers as possible.

The prime minister noted First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić also participated in Sunday's round of the dialogue.