Trip to Priština "intelligent move", says official

Kosovo Ministry State Secretary Oliver Ivanović says that Borko Stefanović's trip to Priština on Thursday was "an intelligently planned initiative".

Izvor: B92

Thursday, 12.05.2011.

13:01

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Kosovo Ministry State Secretary Oliver Ivanovic says that Borko Stefanovic's trip to Pristina on Thursday was "an intelligently planned initiative". Stefanovic heads Belgrade's team in the ongoing Kosovo dialogue, and is due to meet with Kosovo Albanian representatives today. Trip to Pristina "intelligent move", says official Ivanovic spoke for B92 in Belgrade on Thursday when he said the nature of the Pristina trip was that of a working visit, "as Stefanovic himself had said". "He broke the ice, and, in any case, it's a very intelligently planned initiative that is supposed to demonstrate Serbia's generosity of spirit in this respect, and our readiness to go there," said the state secretary. The working visit, he continued, "means Stefanovic will hold meetings that should lead to better mutual understanding", and also provide an opportunity "to meet without mediators in a fairly informal manner". According to Ivanovic, "avoiding contact and attempts for everyone to keep to their own backyard" is no long-term solution, but rather "only keeps tensions alive" - and that is something "Borislav Stefanovic intelligently concluded". "It's good that the idea was tabled and that he decided to try it out himself, and by going there he demonstrated that he was not afraid to talk without the presence of foreigners or EU representatives," believes Ivanovic. Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence in early 2008, but Serbia rejected this as an illegal act of secession. In 2011, representatives of both sides have been meeting for rounds of talks under the auspices of the EU. Oliver Ivanovic (Tanjug, file)

Trip to Priština "intelligent move", says official

Ivanović spoke for B92 in Belgrade on Thursday when he said the nature of the Priština trip was that of a working visit, "as Stefanović himself had said".

"He broke the ice, and, in any case, it's a very intelligently planned initiative that is supposed to demonstrate Serbia's generosity of spirit in this respect, and our readiness to go there," said the state secretary.

The working visit, he continued, "means Stefanović will hold meetings that should lead to better mutual understanding", and also provide an opportunity "to meet without mediators in a fairly informal manner".

According to Ivanović, "avoiding contact and attempts for everyone to keep to their own backyard" is no long-term solution, but rather "only keeps tensions alive" - and that is something "Borislav Stefanović intelligently concluded".

"It's good that the idea was tabled and that he decided to try it out himself, and by going there he demonstrated that he was not afraid to talk without the presence of foreigners or EU representatives," believes Ivanović.

Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence in early 2008, but Serbia rejected this as an illegal act of secession.

In 2011, representatives of both sides have been meeting for rounds of talks under the auspices of the EU.

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