Priština urges EU not to make Serbia candidate

Source: B92, Tanjug

BELGRADE -- The Priština government blames Serbia for the failure of the Kosovo dialogue and is urging the EU not to allow the country to become a candidate for membership.

Ivica Dačić (Tanjug, file)

This is contained in a letter sent from Priština to all EU member states, Interior Minister Ivica Dačić told B92 in Belgrade on Sunday.
Meantime, Belgrade negotiator in the dialogue Borislav Stefanović showed a copy of the letter while he was a guest at the state broadcaster RTS. The EU, which is set to decide on Serbia's bid at the end of the month, however, says they are "unaware of the letter".

"It states that only limited progress had been made in the dialogue, and points out to a lack of essential dialogue in implementing agreements on all open issues," according to Dačić.

The letter shows that the Priština government sees the dialogue only as a chance to pressure Belgrade and that they do not wish to reach a compromise, said he, and added it should be "condemned by the Serbian government".

"I think a letter of this kind is also a clear indicator that many things that are happening related to the candidate status are more political in nature than really about some criteria that Serbia should fulfill in order to become a candidate for EU membership," Dačić noted.

Borislav Stefanović described the move of Kosovo Albanian authorities as "very damaging," adding that "it seemed to him the letter at this time missed the target".

"It proves they do not understand the EU and European integrations," he stated, and added that "we profoundly believe that Priština is not the one to decide on European integrations and EU's enlargement. Brussels decides on that and I am certain that it will not look favorably at this truly empty move by Priština to damage our candidature."

There has been no confirmation from Priština that the letter had been sent, while Brussels said they knew nothing about it.

In the meantime, Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci said that the issue of the territory's representation in regional forums will be solved by "presenting Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state, by mentioning its (unilateral) declaration of independence, the ICJ opinion, and UNSC Resolution 1422".

But Borislav Stefanović stated that Belgrade finds unacceptable any solution that mentions the UDI, made in February 2008.