Jahjaga "also ready to meet with Nikolić"

Source: Tanjug

PRIŠTINA -- "The moment she took her office, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga expressed readiness to meet with presidents of the neighboring countries."

This is was said in a statement issued by her office in Priština, which added that this "included Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić".
The statement came in the wake of Nikolić's announcement that he had invited Jahjaga for a meeting.

"On the last day of the Summit in Budva, Montenegro, the Office of the Kosovo President was contacted by the Office of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić suggesting of a meeting between the two presidents,"Jahjaga's spokesperson Arber Vlahiu stated.

"High EU officials contacted President Jahjaga and discussed the possibilities and models of the meetings between the two presidents, as an encouragement to the dialogue process and reaching agreements whose goal is to facilitate the life of citizens and influence full normalization of the relations between Kosovo and Serbia," the statement adds.

The spokesperson said that Jahjaga gave a positive response to such an initiative, adding that this was her initiative as well, and voicing belief that meetings between political leaders "of the two countries". contribute to the European agenda on "good neighboring relations and the resolution of open issues through dialogues and agreements".

"Jahjaga suggested to the EU leaders to organize and mediate the first meeting between the Kosovo president and the Serbian president, which could take place after the next meeting between the prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia," the statement said.

Kosovo's ethnic Albanians five years ago unilaterally declared independence, but Serbia rejected the proclamation as illegal and considers the territory its southern province. A dialogue between the two sides has been ongoing in Brussels under the sponsorship of the EU.