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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Government adopts Rulebook for talks on Kosovo-Metohija’s future status

Belgrade, 2 August 2007

Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic stated today that at its session the government adopted the Rulebook for talks on Kosovo-Metohija’s future status which will be forwarded to ambassadors of Contact Group member states.

Slobodan Samardzic

At a press conference following the government session, Samardzic said that talks which have already been led in Vienna under the mediation of UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari must be avoided.

According to Samardzic, the rules of negotiations must be clearly formulated which means that the subject, length and format of the negotiations must be defined.

Minister Samardzic stressed that the mediator in the talks must not be allowed to breach the negotiating rules, which was the case in Vienna.

The Serbian government is otherwise satisfied with the preparations for the talks which are taking place within the Contact Group, given that Martti Ahtisaari’s plan is not mentioned as a subject of negotiations any more.

Samardzic said that details of the Rulebook for the talks, adopted by the Serbian government, will be first made known to the Contact Group and then presented to the public.

Bozidar Djelic

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic voiced hope that Serbia will sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement by the end of the year.

Djelic said the government adopted the Action Plan for harmonising laws with EU regulations and the Action Plan for the implementation of priorities from the European partnership.

He explained that there are 44 laws that have to be harmonised with European legislation, which is around 65,000 pages.

Djelic stated that the technical round of negotiations with the EU should be wrapped up on September 11 with the signing of the Memorandum on Cooperation with the EU.

The Serbian Deputy Prime Minister said that Serbian parliament should discuss the initialling of the CEFTA agreement on August 20, prior to a meeting with countries that have already initialled the agreement, scheduled for September 15.

Djelic said that the government instructed the Ministry of Infrastructure to publish the text of the Agreement on concessions for Horgos-Pozega highway on the Serbian government's website on August 3.