Serbia reiterates importance of Association of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo dialogue

1 year ago 40

The Statute of the Association of Serb Municipalities is the backbone to normalisation talks between Serbia and Kosovo, and everything must be in accordance with the agreements of 2013 and 2015, Petar Petković, Director of the Office for Kosovo said.

While the Statute of the Association of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) was the focus of the talks between Serbia and Kosovo, the issues of missing persons and energy were also discussed in parallel meetings.

“We discussed the ZSO statute and the first concrete step towards forming the Association, which our people in Kosovo and Metohija have been expecting for 10 years. The talks will continue. We also talked about energy and the missing, and I expect certain progress in those areas,” said Petar Petković after the meeting.

Petković expressed gratitude to the experts in the Belgrade delegation, emphasising that they are proof that Belgrade approaches the dialogue responsibly.

“They clearly spoke about all aspects of the draft statute, especially the part related to executive powers, primarily spatial planning, health, education, economic development, and that it is funded by Belgrade,” said Petković, expressing expectations for the talks to continue in the coming period.

He also stressed that the Serbian delegation returned from the dialogue convinced there is room for normalisation.

“The statute is very important because it represents the backbone of the ZSO, and everything must be in accordance with the Agreements from 2013 and 2015. After more than five hours of talks we had today in Brussels, we return with the conviction that through dialogue and compromise solutions, we can progress in normalising relations between Belgrade and Pristina,” he said.

But the issue remains that Serbian President Aleksander Vucic has consistently refused to sign any of the agreements from 2023. Furthermore, he has also said he will never recognise Kosovo’s sovereignty and independence, which remains the ultimate goal and key demand of Pristina.

(Jelena Nikolić/Euractiv.rs)