Brussels, 16/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - At their 20th dialogue session on 13 December, the prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo, Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaçi respectively, did not manage to reach an agreement on the judicial system. “The agreement was not reached”, Thaçi said on departing. The most complicated issue concerns the Court of Mitrovica - both its headquarters and its organisation. According to the Serbian news agency, Tanjug, Kosovo wants the headquarters of the Court to be situated in the south of Mitrovica, with its offices in the Serb majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo, while Serbia wants the headquarters in the north and separate from the Court in the southern part of the city.
At the end of the meeting, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton was due to prepare a progress report on the dialogue and present it at the Foreign Affairs and General Affairs Council on 17 December.
Dacic stressed that his Kosovar counterpart had continued with his “unacceptable” demand that the Albanian municipalities be included in the competence of the Kosovoska Mitrovica court.
Technical work was due to continue over the weekend of 14-15 December but no meeting at prime ministerial level is due before January, according to Dacic. Other subjects will be addressed such as the collection of customs duties and property issues. (CG/transl.fl)