Belgrade insists on executive powers for Serbs

BELGRADE PM Ivica Dacic has said ahead of a meeting in Brussels that "nothing less than an association of Serb municipalities with executive powers" would be accepted. It could become clear as soon as this Monday what the EU really is demanding from Serbia, and whether it finds acceptable Belgrade's proposal for an association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija to have executive powers. Belgrade insists on executive powers for Serbs Dacic told Belgrade's Vecernje Novosti daily that after the meeting on Monday at the seat of the EU things might become clearer - whether it is possible to find a solution for the Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija. "We cannot accept anything that does not provide the functioning and survival of the Serbs and the Serb community in Kosovo. Pristina rejects our proposal for a union of Serb municipalities, but we will not accept anything below that. We do not agree that the Serb community only gains the right to organize folk performances and issue newsletters. We insist on executive powers and will tell this completely clearly to officials in Brussels," he was quoted as saying. Dacic also assured that Serbia "will not give up its policy and the compromise solution that it is offering" in exchange for being given a date for the start of EU membership negotiations. "The moment has come for us to talk with our European partners openly and honestly about the continuation of our European integrations as well. Everyone needs to be clear that Serbia will not change its positions in order to get a start date for EU negotiations in the summer. That in no way means that we are giving up on the European path of Serbia. Serbia absolutely deserves a date," he stressed. Director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Aleksandar Vulin told the newspaper that the composition of the delegation that is traveling to Brussels "shows the seriousness of the country to find the best solution for the southern Serbian province": "If the EU wants a peaceful region, it needs to listen to what Serbia has to say. We have sent the highest-ranking delegation in the history of the EU to discuss only one issue, and it shows how much we are willing to talk and find the best possible solution. Serbia cannot go against its Constitution, laws, and citizens. We cannot give that which is not ours. Kosovo and Metohija, the Constitution and the citizens of Serbia are not ours, or someone's property - instead, all of us are that," he was quoted. Vulin added that he hoped the international community would understand that the region will be peaceful only if Serbia and the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija accept the solution that is offered to them. He noted that Serbia, "if it were not Serbia", would have joined the EU a long time ago, "considering how much it has done": "Everything the EU asked of other countries we have long since fulfilled, not for the sake of the EU, but for our own sake. Many EU member states are in worse economic and political shape than Serbia and less stable. But since we are Serbia, other rules apply, and the only question is how for long we will take that," he said. Chairman of the Parliament Committee on Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun also spoke for Vecernje Novosti to say that he expected Catherine Ashton to try to exert additional pressure on the Serbian delegation to accept a compromise in the dialogue with Pristina, which would not be acceptable to the Serbs in the province. "We cannot go below what is defined in the parliamentary resolution and the platform adopted by the Serbian government. It would not be lawful or acceptable for the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija. I think that after this meeting, Ashton and EU's administration should commit to applying strong pressure on Pristina to accept a compromise, because obviously (the negotiations) got stuck on Pristina's side," Drecun said. (Beta, file) Vecernje novosti

Belgrade insists on executive powers for Serbs

Dačić told Belgrade's Večernje Novosti daily that after the meeting on Monday at the seat of the EU things might become clearer - whether it is possible to find a solution for the Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija.

"We cannot accept anything that does not provide the functioning and survival of the Serbs and the Serb community in Kosovo. Priština rejects our proposal for a union of Serb municipalities, but we will not accept anything below that. We do not agree that the Serb community only gains the right to organize folk performances and issue newsletters. We insist on executive powers and will tell this completely clearly to officials in Brussels," he was quoted as saying.

Dačić also assured that Serbia "will not give up its policy and the compromise solution that it is offering" in exchange for being given a date for the start of EU membership negotiations.

"The moment has come for us to talk with our European partners openly and honestly about the continuation of our European integrations as well. Everyone needs to be clear that Serbia will not change its positions in order to get a start date for EU negotiations in the summer. That in no way means that we are giving up on the European path of Serbia. Serbia absolutely deserves a date," he stressed.

Director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Aleksandar Vulin told the newspaper that the composition of the delegation that is traveling to Brussels "shows the seriousness of the country to find the best solution for the southern Serbian province":

"If the EU wants a peaceful region, it needs to listen to what Serbia has to say. We have sent the highest-ranking delegation in the history of the EU to discuss only one issue, and it shows how much we are willing to talk and find the best possible solution. Serbia cannot go against its Constitution, laws, and citizens. We cannot give that which is not ours. Kosovo and Metohija, the Constitution and the citizens of Serbia are not ours, or someone's property - instead, all of us are that," he was quoted.

Vulin added that he hoped the international community would understand that the region will be peaceful only if Serbia and the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija accept the solution that is offered to them.

He noted that Serbia, "if it were not Serbia", would have joined the EU a long time ago, "considering how much it has done":

"Everything the EU asked of other countries we have long since fulfilled, not for the sake of the EU, but for our own sake. Many EU member states are in worse economic and political shape than Serbia and less stable. But since we are Serbia, other rules apply, and the only question is how for long we will take that," he said.

Chairman of the Parliament Committee on Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun also spoke for Večernje Novosti to say that he expected Catherine Ashton to try to exert additional pressure on the Serbian delegation to accept a compromise in the dialogue with Priština, which would not be acceptable to the Serbs in the province.

"We cannot go below what is defined in the parliamentary resolution and the platform adopted by the Serbian government. It would not be lawful or acceptable for the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija. I think that after this meeting, Ashton and EU's administration should commit to applying strong pressure on Priština to accept a compromise, because obviously (the negotiations) got stuck on Priština's side," Drecun said.