Petkovic: Bislimi rejected trilateral meeting

BRUSSELS - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said in Brussels a trilateral meeting in Tuesday's round of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina had not taken place after being rejected by Pristina's chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi, and that Belgrade's delegation had insisted on topics such as a Community of Serb Municipalities, services and implementation of agreements, presenting measures for protection of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs.

"No trilateral direct meeting with the Pristina side took place because Mr Bislimi refused to meet with Belgrade's representatives as we insisted on topics such as the Community of Serb Municipalities, services and the issue of implementation, or application, of agreements," Petkovic told reporters after a meeting with the EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

He said the meeting had addressed full implementation of all previous agreements and comprehensive measures recently outlined by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with the aim of protecting the Serb population in Kosovo-Metohija and reviving the dialogue process.

He said the Serbian delegation had addressed the issue of a bridge on the Ibar River, postal services, energy, telecommunications, missing persons and integrated management of crossings.

Dialogue is much needed "as we are confident it is only through dialogue that we can find a compromise solution to the Kosovo-Metohija issue," said Petkovic, who is Belgrade's chief negotiator in the dialogue with Pristina.

He said he had presented to Lajcak a list of all Serbs arrested by Pristina, comprised mostly of people who were political prisoners despite "EU and US guarantees that no one who protested at barricades would be arrested."