PM Dačić on early elections, Kosovo issue

BELGRADE It is not normal that the main topic in Serbia is when elections will be held when the government is trying to solve important state issues, Ivica Dacic says. “If someone wants to go to the elections, let them go to the elections. I have had enough of that. Are we going to the elections or to Brussels to defend Serbia? We are killing ourselves here and the only issue here is about the elections,” the prime minister said on Sunday. PM Dacic on early elections, Kosovo issue “It is not a normal situation to go to Brussels, Abu Dhabi, Moscow, Washington and that the main question in Serbia every day is when the elections will be held. The elections will be held when the ruling coalition decides or regular elections will be held,” Dacic added. He announced that he and Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci would in the next round of talks discuss how to politically organize Kosovo until the issue of status is resolved, stressing that Serbia was not making steps toward recognition of Kosovo’s independence by taking part in the talks. “Serbia will not recognize Kosovo’s independence but it can accept that Kosovo and Metohija is organized in such a manner that Serbs can protect their interest and have a community of Serb municipalities,” the prime minister explained and stressed that the so-called parallel institutions would not be abolished until an agreement on jurisdiction of the community of Serb municipalities was reached. He stressed that the Platform on Kosovo stated that Serbia did not recognize Kosovo’s independence but that it recognized Kosovo as territory defined by the UN Security Council Resolution 1244. “We are going to Brussels to talk about the functioning of institutions, about solving the parallelism of institutions on one side and specificity of Serbs on the other,” Dacic said. He pointed out it was “dangerous to live in a mirage” because “neither is Kosovo independent nor Serbia has full sovereignty in Kosovo” and that realistic solutions were therefore necessary. “And what have they done in five years? In five years of their independence they have about 90 countries that recognize Kosovo’s independence. Alright. But they can exist for another 100 years without being recognized by the UN,” the prime minister said. He noted that he was primarily interested in Serbian citizens’ interest and not his personal political gain and that anyone who believed they could conduct the talks with Pristina in a more efficient manner should say so. “We are our own biggest enemy because we do not know what we want. From that point of view it is not easy to lead the Serbian delegation in Brussels because I am supposed to make decisions on the spot that I do not know if someone here will back them or not because everybody interprets our state policy in their own way,” Dacic concluded. Ivica Dacic (Tanjug, file) B92 Tanjug

PM Dačić on early elections, Kosovo issue

“It is not a normal situation to go to Brussels, Abu Dhabi, Moscow, Washington and that the main question in Serbia every day is when the elections will be held. The elections will be held when the ruling coalition decides or regular elections will be held,” Dačić added.

He announced that he and Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci would in the next round of talks discuss how to politically organize Kosovo until the issue of status is resolved, stressing that Serbia was not making steps toward recognition of Kosovo’s independence by taking part in the talks.

“Serbia will not recognize Kosovo’s independence but it can accept that Kosovo and Metohija is organized in such a manner that Serbs can protect their interest and have a community of Serb municipalities,” the prime minister explained and stressed that the so-called parallel institutions would not be abolished until an agreement on jurisdiction of the community of Serb municipalities was reached.

He stressed that the Platform on Kosovo stated that Serbia did not recognize Kosovo’s independence but that it recognized Kosovo as territory defined by the UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

“We are going to Brussels to talk about the functioning of institutions, about solving the parallelism of institutions on one side and specificity of Serbs on the other,” Dačić said.

He pointed out it was “dangerous to live in a mirage” because “neither is Kosovo independent nor Serbia has full sovereignty in Kosovo” and that realistic solutions were therefore necessary.

“And what have they done in five years? In five years of their independence they have about 90 countries that recognize Kosovo’s independence. Alright. But they can exist for another 100 years without being recognized by the UN,” the prime minister said.

He noted that he was primarily interested in Serbian citizens’ interest and not his personal political gain and that anyone who believed they could conduct the talks with Priština in a more efficient manner should say so.

“We are our own biggest enemy because we do not know what we want. From that point of view it is not easy to lead the Serbian delegation in Brussels because I am supposed to make decisions on the spot that I do not know if someone here will back them or not because everybody interprets our state policy in their own way,” Dačić concluded.