FM: No "full agreement" on liaison officers

BELGRADE Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic stated on Tuesday that the beginning of work of the liaison officers of Belgrade and Pristina "has not been fully agreed on." This is the case "since their status and the manner of operation is not defined in detail," he explained. FM: No "full agreement" on liaison officers Mrkic said that Pristina wants the liaison officers to have the status, which according to the Vienna Convention, is exercised by the diplomatic missions of sovereign countries. “Serbia cannot accept that for obvious reasons,” Mrkic said for the Belgrade-based daily Danas. "We advocate a solution which will make it possible for both liaison officers to operate smoothly and have proper guarantees of personal security," the Serbia foreign minister said. Dejan Pavicevic, who was appointed liaison officer by the Serbian government, said earlier for the daily that Belgrade and Pristina will have no liaison offices since the liaison officer is just one person rather than a delegation. Pavicevic said that the Pristina liaison officer should be seated in the EU Delegation building in Belgrade, while the representative of the Belgrade side would be in the office of EU special representative in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar. On the other hand, the Kosovo authorities decided that Pristina's liaison officer in Belgrade will be Lulzim Peci, who up to now served as the Kosovo ambassador in Sweden. The duties and daily responsibilities of the officers in the field have not been fully defined, but basically they should focus on the communication between the two sides and monitoring of the implementation of the Brussels agreements, the daily noted. (Beta, file) Danas Tanjug

FM: No "full agreement" on liaison officers

Mrkić said that Priština wants the liaison officers to have the status, which according to the Vienna Convention, is exercised by the diplomatic missions of sovereign countries.

“Serbia cannot accept that for obvious reasons,” Mrkić said for the Belgrade-based daily Danas.

"We advocate a solution which will make it possible for both liaison officers to operate smoothly and have proper guarantees of personal security," the Serbia foreign minister said.

Dejan Pavićević, who was appointed liaison officer by the Serbian government, said earlier for the daily that Belgrade and Priština will have no liaison offices since the liaison officer is just one person rather than a delegation.

Pavićević said that the Priština liaison officer should be seated in the EU Delegation building in Belgrade, while the representative of the Belgrade side would be in the office of EU special representative in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar.

On the other hand, the Kosovo authorities decided that Priština's liaison officer in Belgrade will be Lulzim Peci, who up to now served as the Kosovo ambassador in Sweden.

The duties and daily responsibilities of the officers in the field have not been fully defined, but basically they should focus on the communication between the two sides and monitoring of the implementation of the Brussels agreements, the daily noted.