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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Finding solution to Kosovo-Metohija requires compromise

Kopaonik, 13 March 2013

Prime Minister Ivica Dacic stated today that progress has been achieved in dialogue that is being conducted in Brussels, but that the parties involved are far from solution, and underlined that Belgrade’s goal is to find a sustainable model for the functioning of institutions that would be recognised by both Belgrade and Pristina.

Dacic repeated at a press conference held as part of Kopaonik Business Forum 2013 that solution to Kosovo-Metohija cannot be found only within the law and constitution of Kosovo because Belgrade could ask the same, but rather there must be a compromise that would satisfy both sides.

He stressed that the Serbian leadership had a good meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton on 11 March in Brussels, but that no document was offered or signed on that occasion.

No document has been initialled in Brussels when it comes to addressing the issue of institutions in the north of Kosovo because nothing has been agreed with regard to the general principles and the essential matter, i.e. what the community of Serbian municipalities is, the Prime Minister explained.

He specified that an agreement has been reached with Ashton regarding the essence of Serbia's proposal, which is the formation of the community of Serbian municipalities in Kosovo, where Belgrade is trying to resolve this issue, but there is no consensus on what the community is and what it will do.

Serbia is asking for core competencies as a minimum for the realisation of this concept, while the position of Pristina is that it should have a status of a non-governmental organisation, and virtually no power, which is not serious, the Prime Minister pointed out.

The talks are not easy. If there was an easy solution the negotiations would not be held, Dacic underlined, adding that it is still not certain whether Ashton will come tomorrow to Belgrade, which depends on the results of her visit to Pristina.