Brussels, 15/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - As announced in EUROPE 10845, the Serbian and Kosovan prime ministers - Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaçi respectively - will meet again in Brussels on 21 May with, and at the invitation of, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton to discuss the measures they must take together for implementing the 19 April agreement (see EUROPE 10831). The two meetings on the implementation plan at working group level at the beginning of May did not bring about an agreement on the implementation plan (see EUROPE 10842). The Serbs and Kosovans each accused the other for the failure of the talks. In her press release, Ashton stressed that it was particularly important for the implementation of this agreement to happen quickly.
Several member states, including Germany, are waiting to see the effective implementation of the 19 April agreement on the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina before giving their approval for the opening of EU accession negotiations with Serbia, and those of a stabilisation and association agreement with Kosovo. Approval could be given at the European Council at the end of June.
On 12 May, the Serbian deputy prime minister, Aleksandar Vucic, called on the Kosovan Serbs to accept the agreement with Kosovo. He said that this agreement is not “ideal” but would allow Serbia “to survive, to exist and remain united in the search for a path to a better future”. (CG/transl.fl)