No agreement between Kosovo Serbs, Dačić, Vučić

BELGRADE A meeting between Serbs from northern Kosovo with PM Ivica Dacic and his first deputy, Aleksandar Vucic, ended without an agreement on Tuesday. After three hours of talks, the Serbs from northern Kosovo and the highest representatives of the government in Belgrade reached no agreement concerning the issue of accepting the agreement reached between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels and the option of calling a referendum on whether or not to accept document. No agreement between Kosovo Serbs, Dacic, Vucic The Kosovo Serbs are demanding from the Constitutional Court to first give its opinion on whether the Brussels agreement violates the fundamental law of the country. Only then can we think of a referendum, they add. At the meeting today, the northern Kosovo Serbs were represented by Deputy Director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Krstimir Pantic, the mayors of the four northern Kosovo municipalities and head of the Kosovska Mitrovica District Radenko Nedeljkovic. During the meeting, a group of Serbs who live in municipalities south of the Ibar River, who arrived in Belgrade to express their views on the Brussels-based document, were left in front of the government building. They carried banners expressing their opposition to the Brussels deal, and accused the authorities of treating them as "third class" citizens. The Serbs who attended the meeting said afterwards they wished to see an assessment of whether the Brussels agreement is in line with the Constitution, and then talks on a referendum. “Priority should be given to the Constitutional Court's decision. The institution should voice its opinion on whether the agreement is in keeping with the Constitution, and then we may deliver a decision on the referendum. We think that at the moment the referendum is not the best option,” said President of the Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija Milan Ivanovic. The talks with Dacic and Vucic will be continued, the next being scheduled for May 7, he said. Ivanovic said that the referendum question should be - are you for Kosovo-Metohija or the EU- but added that officials agreed at a joint meeting of the municipal assemblies in northern Kosovo that priority should be given to the decision of the Constitutional Court. The boycott of the implementation of the deal continues, Ivanovic said, noting that the agreement jeopardizes vital state interests, the plan for its implementation being even worse. Asked why the delegation of the north Kosovo Serbs did not insist that representatives of the Serbs living south of the Ibar River, who were in front of the government building the whole time, also take part in the meeting with the prime minister and first deputy prime minister, Ivanovic said that they were not the ones to decide, voicing hope that they would attend the next meeting on May 7. (Tanjug) Head of the southern Kosovo municipality of Strpce Zvonko Mihajlovic said that the government "managed once again to divide Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija" and called on Serbia's state bodies to receive them for talks in the next seven to ten days, and underscored that the north Kosovo Serbs' move was unfair, as “the deal was to go together to the meeting with Dacic and Vucic.” Mihajlovic, however, backed the north Kosovo Serbs' request that the Constitutional Court should voice its opinion on the agreement, stressing that is the right way. "Serbia should reject the agreement and thus clear the way for reaching the best possible solution. That agreement abolishes Serbia's statehood in Kosovo and Metohija," Mihailovic said, adding that the referendum was not necessary - as the status of Kosovo-Metohija is defined by the Constitution of Serbia and UN SC Resolution 1244. Serbs from enclaves south of the Ibar protest in front of the government (Tanjug) B92 Tanjug

No agreement between Kosovo Serbs, Dačić, Vučić

The Kosovo Serbs are demanding from the Constitutional Court to first give its opinion on whether the Brussels agreement violates the fundamental law of the country. Only then can we think of a referendum, they add.

At the meeting today, the northern Kosovo Serbs were represented by Deputy Director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Krstimir Pantić, the mayors of the four northern Kosovo municipalities and head of the Kosovska Mitrovica District Radenko Nedeljković.

During the meeting, a group of Serbs who live in municipalities south of the Ibar River, who arrived in Belgrade to express their views on the Brussels-based document, were left in front of the government building.

They carried banners expressing their opposition to the Brussels deal, and accused the authorities of treating them as "third class" citizens.

The Serbs who attended the meeting said afterwards they wished to see an assessment of whether the Brussels agreement is in line with the Constitution, and then talks on a referendum.

“Priority should be given to the Constitutional Court's decision. The institution should voice its opinion on whether the agreement is in keeping with the Constitution, and then we may deliver a decision on the referendum. We think that at the moment the referendum is not the best option,” said President of the Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija Milan Ivanović.

The talks with Dačić and Vučić will be continued, the next being scheduled for May 7, he said.

Ivanović said that the referendum question should be - are you for Kosovo-Metohija or the EU- but added that officials agreed at a joint meeting of the municipal assemblies in northern Kosovo that priority should be given to the decision of the Constitutional Court.

The boycott of the implementation of the deal continues, Ivanović said, noting that the agreement jeopardizes vital state interests, the plan for its implementation being even worse.

Asked why the delegation of the north Kosovo Serbs did not insist that representatives of the Serbs living south of the Ibar River, who were in front of the government building the whole time, also take part in the meeting with the prime minister and first deputy prime minister, Ivanović said that they were not the ones to decide, voicing hope that they would attend the next meeting on May 7. Head of the southern Kosovo municipality of Štrpce Zvonko Mihajlović said that the government "managed once again to divide Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija" and called on Serbia's state bodies to receive them for talks in the next seven to ten days, and underscored that the north Kosovo Serbs' move was unfair, as “the deal was to go together to the meeting with Dačić and Vučić.”

Mihajlović, however, backed the north Kosovo Serbs' request that the Constitutional Court should voice its opinion on the agreement, stressing that is the right way.

"Serbia should reject the agreement and thus clear the way for reaching the best possible solution. That agreement abolishes Serbia's statehood in Kosovo and Metohija," Mihailović said, adding that the referendum was not necessary - as the status of Kosovo-Metohija is defined by the Constitution of Serbia and UN SC Resolution 1244.