Dačić hopes "reason will prevail" in Brussels

VRBAS Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has said he hoped that "reason will prevail at the meeting between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels on Monday." As a result, Serbian he hoped "Serbian officials will be allowed to visit to Kosovo and Metohija before the local elections scheduled for November 3." Dacic hopes "reason will prevail" in Brussels Dacic said on Saturday that his role in the talks with Pristina will be over if the decision to ban visits by Serbian officials to Kosovo and Metohija is not changed. "It is in our interest that the peace process is continued and brings about positive results. I am optimistic, given that the mere fact that a meeting was convened shows that everyone understands the gravity of the problem at the moment, but if they fail to change the decision, then for my part, my participation is over," Dacic told reporters in the town of Vrbas. Asked whether this means a setback for Serbia's European integration, Dacic said that Serbia cannot be held responsible for something that someone else is doing and that the responsibilities between the parties should be clearly delineated. "Serbia cannot be responsible for the implementation of the (April 19) Brussels agreement if we are not allowed to go to Kosovo. Given such a situation, how can we be responsible and what for?" Dacic asked. Dacic said that the Serbian government has a strategic goal to continue European integration, solve problems and to achieve the best possible compromise solution that would lead to a positive shift when it comes to the lives of the citizens who live in Kosovo and Metohija. The prime minister said that the Monday meeting in Brussels was convened over Pristina's ban on visits, which he called an "unprecedented scandal," adding that he had received information that something like that could happen before the ban and he warned the EU and ambassadors to Serbia of consequences it could entail. "Among other things, it can render further dialogue and my personal participation in it absolutely pointless, because if I, as a signatory to the Brussels agreement, cannot go to Kosovo and agitate for elections scheduled by the Pristina government, then the question is what the purpose of such a decision is and clearly, it is an obstruction of (the implementation of) the Brussels agreement," he said. (Beta, file) Tanjug

Dačić hopes "reason will prevail" in Brussels

Dačić said on Saturday that his role in the talks with Priština will be over if the decision to ban visits by Serbian officials to Kosovo and Metohija is not changed.

"It is in our interest that the peace process is continued and brings about positive results. I am optimistic, given that the mere fact that a meeting was convened shows that everyone understands the gravity of the problem at the moment, but if they fail to change the decision, then for my part, my participation is over," Dačić told reporters in the town of Vrbas.

Asked whether this means a setback for Serbia's European integration, Dačić said that Serbia cannot be held responsible for something that someone else is doing and that the responsibilities between the parties should be clearly delineated.

"Serbia cannot be responsible for the implementation of the (April 19) Brussels agreement if we are not allowed to go to Kosovo. Given such a situation, how can we be responsible and what for?" Dačić asked.

Dačić said that the Serbian government has a strategic goal to continue European integration, solve problems and to achieve the best possible compromise solution that would lead to a positive shift when it comes to the lives of the citizens who live in Kosovo and Metohija.

The prime minister said that the Monday meeting in Brussels was convened over Priština's ban on visits, which he called an "unprecedented scandal," adding that he had received information that something like that could happen before the ban and he warned the EU and ambassadors to Serbia of consequences it could entail.

"Among other things, it can render further dialogue and my personal participation in it absolutely pointless, because if I, as a signatory to the Brussels agreement, cannot go to Kosovo and agitate for elections scheduled by the Priština government, then the question is what the purpose of such a decision is and clearly, it is an obstruction of (the implementation of) the Brussels agreement," he said.