No agreement in new round of Kosovo dialogue

Source: Tanjug

BRUSSELS -- Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić stated that the round of the Kosovo talks held on Friday in Brussels failed to produce an agreement on the judiciary.

(EU)

The reason for this outcome was Priština "remaining firm in its unacceptable request for Albanian municipalities to be included in the jurisdiction of the Kosovska Mitrovica Court," he said.
Dačić underscored that Serbia fulfilled all that was required in the judiciary sector, and added that Belgrade remains open for further talks.

Priština departed from the agreement insisting that Albanian municipalities should be included in the jurisdiction of the Kosovska Mitrovica Court, he said.

"This would entail the assimilation of four Serb municipalities in the north (of Kosovo) in Albanian municipalities in the south, which is not in keeping with the Brussels agreement," Dačić told reporters.

He underscored that there are "some things Belgrade cannot accept," and added that he still hopes the report which High EU Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton should file to EU foreign ministers on December 17 would be positive.

If the report is objective, it will be obvious that Serbia has done absolutely everything to meet the conditions for getting the date (to launch EU accession talks), Dačić said.

He noted that expert working groups would continue the talks on judiciary during the weekend, adding that a solution could be found in the meantime.

Dačić stated that he will not meet with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci before January, but he expressed the expectation that the dialogue would continue concerning other topics, such as collection of customs duties and property issues.

Thaci also confirmed that no agreement had been reached.

The 20th round of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue was held in Brussels on Friday and it will affect the progress of both sides on their parallel EU paths.

High EU Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton will prepare the report on the progress in the dialogue and present it to EU foreign ministers at the sessions on December 16-17.

The report will determine the negotiating framework and the date to launch Serbia's EU accession talks.