Brussels, 07/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic met, and shook hands with, Kosovan President Atifete Jahjaga for the first time, in the presence of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton in Brussels on 6 February. Having met each president individually as part of the endeavours to normalise relations between Belgrade and Pristina, Ashton held a joint 50-minute meeting with the two presidents - “which took place in an open and constructive atmosphere”, she said. She also said that the discussions focused on the continued dialogue between the Serbian and Kosovan prime ministers, Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaci respectively.
“We are now tackling the issue of northern Kosovo and the coming weeks will be critical. Both President Nikolic and President Jahjaga have assured me of their continued support and commitment to the dialogue and their respective European agendas”, Ashton said. She encouraged them to continue the necessary efforts to progress towards the EU, as in the Council conclusions of 11 December (see EUROPE 10750). In Jahjaga's view, the next meeting could take place around 20 February. The EEAS said that the discussions should take place in the week of 18-24 February, without being more precise.
Tension still very high. The first meeting did not enable tension to be calmed between the two presidents - tension that is still very high with regard to the independence of Kosovo, which Serbia does not recognise.
At the end of their meeting, Nikolic told B92 that the meeting had been intended to “tame the passions”, when he was asked about the meeting being a first step towards recognising the independence of Kosovo. Nikolic said that if his counterpart continues to insist that Kosovo is an independent state, it will be complicated to reach an agreement, and he added that he stood by Resolution 1244. “The discussion will continue on condition that the Serbs living in the north of Kosovo keep wide institutional autonomy”, he added.
Jahjaga said on the sidelines of the meeting that it was as president of “a sovereign and independent state” that she would address her Serbian counterpart. “We are equal too”, she said, adding: “I expect from the Serbian people to enjoy the positive changes and the spirit of the cooperation and the spirit of the good neighbourhood relations (…) It is a time when we have to look on the process of integration towards the EU and the EU-Atlantic processes.” (CG/transl.fl)