PM: Some progress, but more talks needed

SOURCE: TANJUG
BRUSSELS -- Ivica Dačić said after the 13th round of dialogue with Hashim Thaci in Brussels on Monday that some progress was made, but many open issues remain.

 

(Tanjug)
Ivica Dačić said after the 13th round of dialogue with Hashim Thaci in Brussels on Monday that some progress was made, but many open issues remain.

"We talked about many issues related to the implementation of the Brussels agreement (between Belgrade and Priština)," Dačić told reporters after five hours of talks with Thaci at the office of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

The prime minister explained that the talks focused on local elections in Kosovo, the amnesty bill, the judicial network, electricity, telecommunications and everything else the experts had failed to agree on.

"Thaci said the amnesty bill will be passed by the end of next week," said Dačić.

The prime minister warned that Priština is constantly trying to use the status-neutral dialogue to impose solutions which confirm Kosovo's statehood.

"We must prevent them from solving status issues through the demand for the use of Kosovo IDs and citizenship," Dačić said, adding this is very important for the participation of Serbs in the local elections this fall, whose organization was also discussed.

When it comes to telecommunications and electricity, Dačić said some difficult issues like Lake Gazivode will be discussed during the EU high representative's visit to Belgrade and Priština this week.

"Some progress was made, but we will discuss several open issues with Ashton in Belgrade tomorrow," Dačić said, adding he and Thaci will meet again in Brussels on July 24.

He explained that in addition to Lake Gazivode, there is dispute over the Valac substation and the international calling code for Kosovo.