Brussels, 18/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - The new discussions as part of the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, which were organised in Brussels on 17 April with the prime ministers of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, and Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, have not brought about an agreement, announced High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton at the end of the discussions just after midnight on 18 April. The dialogue could resume this Friday 19 April. Stating that the day had been “very long and intensive”, she said that they had not been able to reach an agreement. “We have sought to bring together all of the different ideas that have been under discussion over these past months, distil them and ask the delegations from Pristina and Belgrade to examine these proposals”, Ashton said after 14 hours of bilateral meetings and then a trilateral meeting in the evening - in other words, more than 14 hours of negotiations. However, she expressed her optimism: “I said last time that agreement was close, that the differences were narrow, but deep (see EUROPE 10819). I can say with real confidence today that the differences are narrow and very shallow.”
Stating that, just as on 4 March and 2 April, Pristina accepted, on 17 April, the 15-point agreement that was proposed by Ashton “in its entirety”, the Kosovan foreign affairs minister, Enver Hoxhaj, said that “after a marathon meeting today, similar to the one on 2 April, Serbia has once again said no to the agreement” for a third time. According to Dacic, “Belgrade was ready to accept an agreement on the competences of the community of Serbian municipalities, but Thaçi undermined it in establishing a link with the issue of (Kosovo) joining international organisations, including the United Nations, which our delegation could not accept”.
Ashton calls for a last effort. Reiterating that the General Affairs Council on Monday 22 April will look at the issue of Serbia and Kosovo and that she will present her report at this Council, Ashton said that “we have some hours left”. She hoped that in this time “both delegations will reflect on whether they can take the final steps necessary to finish this agreement”. “We hope that Serbia will reflect in a European spirit over the course of these few days in order to accept the agreement. The normalisation of our inter-state relations is in the interest of the two countries and our European future”, stated Hoxhaj, adding that Pristina is “still committed and full of hope that we can reach an agreement”. In Thaçi's view, although Serbia refused the agreement, it “could change its mind in the next few days”. For his part, Dacic said that Belgrade is “ready to continue the negotiations until all the issues are resolved”.
The point of disagreement is over how much autonomy the association of Serbian municipalities in the north of Kosovo should have. Belgrade wants it to have executive powers on regulated activities such as security, police and justice - which Pristina refuses. The EU does not want a re-make of the Republika Srpska, underlining that this does not work. (CG/transl.fl)