Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Finding sustainable solution for Kosovo-Metohija, making step ahead towards EU

Belgrade, 11 January 2013

Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic said today that the national leadership of Serbia has achieved absolute unity on the platform and the resolution on negotiations with the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina.

Author: novosti.rs

In an interview with the daily Vecernje novosti, Dacic said that Serbia will start with the achievement of two main objectives - to find a lasting and sustainable solution for Kosovo-Metohija and to make a further step towards the EU.

He said the platform and the resolution on negotiations with the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina are the result of long discussions and consultations in which state representatives sought to develop the best formulations possible, and the final text has been harmonised with all political actors in the state leadership, including President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic.

The Prime Minister underlined that Serbia will continue to be present in Kosovo-Metohija. That is not disputable, just as the fact that Serbia will not abandon any of its citizens, no matter where they might live.

The platform proposes a kind of autonomy for the Serbian municipalities, i.e. for communities of Serbian municipalities. They should have their original jurisdiction, Dacic added.

He said that this issue will be on the agenda of his next meeting in Brussels on 17 January with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and representative of the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina Hashim Thaci.

He also said that the platform and the resolution are in favour of negotiations conducted in Brussels and their adoption by the Serbian Parliament does not aim to provoke anyone or to force some kind of reaction.

Everything the Serbian government does regarding Kosovo-Metohija is in favour of the improvement and encouragement of dialogue, not its obstruction. The most important is to go ahead with dialogue because we can achieve what we want only through talks, Dacic underlined.

When asked whether what the government is doing is enough for a positive decision by the European Council regarding the date for the beginning of negotiations with the EU, the Prime Minister said that the fight will be tough, but that the government will do everything for a positive outcome because that is of paramount national interest.

Dacic voiced his hope that within the next seven days the working groups of Belgrade and Pristina will reach in agreement in Brussels on the collection of customs duties and other taxes at the administrative crossings.

The Prime Minister also said that the Serbian government should appoint a liaison officer with Pristina next week, who would be responsible for communication and resolution of certain problems in the implementation of the agreements reached.