PM: Nikolić, Ashton to discuss Kosovo dialogue

BRUSSELS Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has said that the issue of continuing the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue "will be discussed in the next days". Speaking for Tanjug in Brussels on Tuesday, he added that the first opportunity for that will be a meeting between Catherine Ashton, EU's first High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, during a session of the UN General Assembly in New York. PM: Nikolic, Ashton to discuss Kosovo dialogue "It is important that this is discussed and that the way Serbia sees the continuation of dialogue is defined, whether at technical or political level," Dacic said after a series of meetings with top representatives of the EU in Brussels, including President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy and Catherine Asthon. Asked whether he and Asthon specified when the dialogue will continue and whether the EU high representative will be mediator in the new round of talks, Dacic said this is yet to be discussed, and added that the meeting between Nikolic and Ahston is the next step. He pointed out that he had conveyed Serbia's determination not to accept Kosovo's unilaterally proclaimed independence to Ashton, but that the country is ready to seek a political solution through peaceful means and dialogue. Dacic also told Ashton that Serbia does not want negotiations with Pristina to turn into "competition" for who would deceive whom, or to implement the agreements at the last minute, but added the country knows exactly "what the goal is and which conditions should be met" on its EU path. "No other constellation can lead to the solution of all problems," Dacic told Tanjug. "I presented the goals of the new Serbian government and what I believe is our priority in the next period. Our interest is for Serbia's European path to accelerate and for Belgrade-Pristina relations to become relaxed as much as possible, in order for this not to pose a problem on our EU path," Dacic concluded. Dacic, Ashton, and Serbian FM Ivan Mrkic are seen in Brussels on Tuesday (Beta) Tanjug

PM: Nikolić, Ashton to discuss Kosovo dialogue

"It is important that this is discussed and that the way Serbia sees the continuation of dialogue is defined, whether at technical or political level," Dačić said after a series of meetings with top representatives of the EU in Brussels, including President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy and Catherine Asthon.

Asked whether he and Asthon specified when the dialogue will continue and whether the EU high representative will be mediator in the new round of talks, Dačić said this is yet to be discussed, and added that the meeting between Nikolić and Ahston is the next step.

He pointed out that he had conveyed Serbia's determination not to accept Kosovo's unilaterally proclaimed independence to Ashton, but that the country is ready to seek a political solution through peaceful means and dialogue.

Dačić also told Ashton that Serbia does not want negotiations with Priština to turn into "competition" for who would deceive whom, or to implement the agreements at the last minute, but added the country knows exactly "what the goal is and which conditions should be met" on its EU path.

"No other constellation can lead to the solution of all problems," Dačić told Tanjug.

"I presented the goals of the new Serbian government and what I believe is our priority in the next period. Our interest is for Serbia's European path to accelerate and for Belgrade-Priština relations to become relaxed as much as possible, in order for this not to pose a problem on our EU path," Dačić concluded.