Brussels, 21/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 21 June, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton announced that “concrete steps towards a visible and sustainable improvement of relations” between Belgrade and Pristina have been taken.
At the end of a meeting that lasted over six hours with the prime ministers of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, and Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, Ashton announced agreements on “a number of open issues, in particular in the field of justice, police and upcoming municipal elections”.
Ashton stated that she had spoken with Dacic and Thaçi about the work done by the working parties on the main elements of the implementation plan for the 19 April agreement. She said that “good work has been done and concrete progress has been achieved” (see EUROPE 10851).
Ashton does not make reference in her press release to the fields of energy and telecommunications - for which there are still outstanding questions. Another meeting between Ashton, Dacic and Thaçi is due to take place on these subjects in Brussels on 18 July.
Ashton said that she would inform the member states of the progress made on implementing the 19 April agreement - and that she would do this ahead of the General Affairs Council on 25 June and the European Council on 28 June (which could decide the date for the opening of accession negotiations with Belgrade and negotiations for a stabilisation and association agreement with Pristina). According to one European source, Ashton and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle are due to send a letter to the member states before the end of the week, informing them of this progress. Ambassadors from the member states are due to meet in the morning of 24 June in order to discuss Serbia and Kosovo. (CG/transl.fl)