Petkovic: Other side wants no solution, dialogue to continue on April 4

BRUSSELS - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Monday Pristina lacked the political will to find a solution for the use of the Serbian dinar in Kosovo-Metohija, and announced that a new round of technical-level dialogue with Pristina would be held on April 4.

Speaking to reporters after a trilateral and a bilateral meeting in Brussels, Petkovic said both sides had presented their proposed solutions and that Belgrade had had a balanced approach and looked after Serbian interests while Pristina's proposal reflected no effort to find a solution.

"That is what worries me extremely, I do not know what direction the dialogue will be heading in. I am worried about the position of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija, especially when you see that there is no will on the other side to reach a solution. We will continue to negotiate..., we will do everything in our power to preserve peace and our people in Kosovo-Metohija, whose human rights are being violated and who cannot receive their salaries, pensions and social benefits due to (Pristina's PM Albin) Kurti," Petkovic said.

"If you want a solution, you must put in effort. To me, it all looks as though the other side does not want to do that. Kurti will continue to persecute the Serbs," Petkovic said, adding that it was clear the EU did not have or did not want a solution.

He said Belgrade was committed to dialogue and would do everything for a solution to be reached.