Brussels, 21/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 20 March, progress was made at the seventh meeting between the Serbian and Kosovan prime ministers on the normalisation of relations between their countries - but no agreement was reached. At the end of a day of negotiations - trilateral and bilateral - which lasted over 12 hours, and in which the issue of the community of municipalities in the north of Kosovo was discussed, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton told a press conference (the first since the start of the meetings): “It is my personal view that we're very close to a solution on some of the most difficult issues concerning northern Kosovo”. Both prime ministers stressed that progress had been made during this meeting.
Stating that the day had been “extremely difficult” because the discussions focused on “the most important and the most pertinent (issue) which has tormented and tortured us for decades”, Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said he could not say if an agreement was close or not because “the opinion on where we are changes from one moment to the next”. He added, however, that “time is moving on and optimism can only grow”. Dacic said that there are still differences of opinion between Belgrade and Pristina on the competences of this community of municipalities. He stated that the EU has not given any ultimatums or offered any plan, and that the two parties must find a solution through compromise.
In the view of Kosovan Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, “we are moving in the right direction for a solution and I hope that in a few days we will be able to reach a solution”. He said he thought the meeting had been “a marathon” and “not easy”, underlining that it had taken place in “a positive and constructive atmosphere”.
Next meeting on 2 April. After consultations in the countries “to make sure that what we are discussing is going to work on the ground and is going to be implemented”, Dacic and Thaçi will meet again in Brussels on 2 April, Ashton announced. This will be “the conclusive meeting of this set of issues and of this group of discussions”, Ashton said, hoping that “we will reach conclusions on 2 April”.
Dacic and Thaçi stressed that the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is a factor of stability for the region. (CG/transl.fl)