Thaci to Vucic: Pristina ready to receive any help in probe

Thaci to Vucic: Pristina ready to receive any help in probe

"Two interlocutors agreed that the dialogue between Serbs and Albanians, as well as joint work on calming and stabilizing the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, is crucial for both sides," the statement said.

Vucic and Thaci spoke about the murder of Oliver Ivanovic and shared their regret, agreeing that the detection and apprehension of the perpetrators of this terrible criminal act is crucial to preserving peace and trust among people.

President Vucic once again asked from Thaci to accept the involvement of Serbian state authorities in conducting an investigation into the Ivanovic murder in order to solve this gruesome crime in the shortest possible time, the statement concluded.

Thaci wrote on Facebook that during his telephone conversation with Vucic, he "expressed readiness of the Kosovo institutions to cooperate with the Serbian ones, in keeping with the current laws," in the investigation into the murder of the Serb politician, who was gunned down in northern Kosovska Mitrovica on Tuesday.

Thaci stated that the relevant bodies of Kosovo are ready to cooperate, in keeping with the laws of Kosovo, and receive "any help that could lead to solving the murder."

"The two presidents underscored the need for enough time to be given to the relevant bodies to finish their job with expertise and independently. The presidents stressed that the discovery of the perpetrators is the most important thing," stated the Kosovo president.

Thaci added that, during the conversation, he provided assurances that the relevant bodies, the prosecution and the Police of Kosovo were conducting an intensive investigation in order to discover and bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice.

"During the telephone conversation, the two presidents also considered many issues of joint interest, focusing on the need to continue the dialogue about the normalization of relations between the two countries, strengthening peace in the region and Euro-Atlantic integration," Thaci wrote.

On Tuesday, Vucic told a news conference that the Ivanovic murder was treated as an act of terrorism, and that Belgrade wanted to investigate it in Kosovo and Metohija.

Vucic is to spend the coming weekend with the Serbs in Kosovo, a visit that Pristina on Wednesday announced it had "approved."