“Belgrade-Priština negotiations going step by step“

BELGRADE Political analysts Predrag Simic and Ognjen Pribicevic believe that the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations are going step by step. Pribicevic says that the question is whether the U.S. is ready to “steer” Albanians toward an agreement because the “key is in Washington” since the EU has no capacity to wrap up the issue. “Belgrade-Pristina negotiations going step by step“ He told Belgrade-based Pink TV that a step toward an agreement had been made in the latest round of talks in Brussels but that the key issue was security – military, judiciary and police. “An agreement on police was reached to the composition will match ethnic composition of the population provided that the population would not change by adding Southern Mitrovica, while a local police chief would be a Serb,” Pribicevic explained, adding that he expected the issue of military to be the most sensitive one. According to him, all options are on the table and an agreement can be reached in the next several days. He said that consultations would then be held in Serbia among top state officials and probably with parliamentary parties and that the EU and the U.S. would then be informed. Pribicevic also believes that in the best case scenario, the agreement can be reached in seven days and that a date for the start of Serbia’s EU accession talks could be discussed in a month. Simic also assessed that the talks were going “step by step” and that they partially reminded him of the Rambouillet talks but more of the Dayton talks and that the tenth round of the dialogue should be expected. He noted that the Albanians were “tough negotiators” and that the UN seat was important for Pristina while the U.S. was pragmatic and wanted to put an end to the issue. Simic stressed that instead of a community of ten Serb municipalities, the draft agreement now only mentioned four northern Kosovo municipalities and that it would be wrong if the future agreement would not include the majority of the Serb population living south of the Ibar River. He pointed out that the Kosovo Albanians’ goal was to realize the Stabilization and Association Agreement and get the visa-free regime while the Serbian side wanted to get a date for the start of the EU accession talks. Predrag Simic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

“Belgrade-Priština negotiations going step by step“

He told Belgrade-based Pink TV that a step toward an agreement had been made in the latest round of talks in Brussels but that the key issue was security – military, judiciary and police.

“An agreement on police was reached to the composition will match ethnic composition of the population provided that the population would not change by adding Southern Mitrovica, while a local police chief would be a Serb,” Pribićević explained, adding that he expected the issue of military to be the most sensitive one.

According to him, all options are on the table and an agreement can be reached in the next several days. He said that consultations would then be held in Serbia among top state officials and probably with parliamentary parties and that the EU and the U.S. would then be informed.

Pribićević also believes that in the best case scenario, the agreement can be reached in seven days and that a date for the start of Serbia’s EU accession talks could be discussed in a month.

Simić also assessed that the talks were going “step by step” and that they partially reminded him of the Rambouillet talks but more of the Dayton talks and that the tenth round of the dialogue should be expected.

He noted that the Albanians were “tough negotiators” and that the UN seat was important for Priština while the U.S. was pragmatic and wanted to put an end to the issue.

Simić stressed that instead of a community of ten Serb municipalities, the draft agreement now only mentioned four northern Kosovo municipalities and that it would be wrong if the future agreement would not include the majority of the Serb population living south of the Ibar River.

He pointed out that the Kosovo Albanians’ goal was to realize the Stabilization and Association Agreement and get the visa-free regime while the Serbian side wanted to get a date for the start of the EU accession talks.