Petkovic: Pristina showed it is not ready for normalisation

BRUSSELS - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Tuesday evening Pristina had shown it was not ready for normalisation of relations with Belgrade and further discussions in technical dialogue.

After a new round of dialogue in Brussels, Petkovic said that, at a trilateral meeting facilitated by EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak, Belgrade had insisted on the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities - the key issue for the survival of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs and normalisation - but that Pristina had demonstrated it would never form the Community and that the policy of Pristina's PM Albin Kurti was one of expulsion of Serbs.

"Dialogue is the only place for compromise solutions," Petkovic told reporters after the Brussels meetings, noting that, at last week's high-level meeting, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had been ready for dialogue, while Kurti refused to speak with him.

He said an EU delegation had first met with Belgrade's delegation on Tuesday and then with Pristina's delegation.

He said that, at a trilateral meeting that followed, Belgrade had insisted on the Community, but that energy, freedom of movement and official visits had been discussed as well.

"Our side was determined in presenting arguments relating to respect of all agreements. At the meeting with Lajcak, we discussed the Community of Serb Municipalities, missing persons, freedom of movement, and noted that a ban on Serbian goods must be lifted, and we also talked about the bridge on the Ibar River, and noted what the agreement says about the bridge - that a delineation must be carried out in the Suvi Do area, which Pristina has not done. Lajcak said this can only be resolved through dialogue," Petkovic said.

He said that, at the trilateral meeting, Pristina's chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi had rejected an agreement on official visits.

Petkovic added that he had said Belgrade was ready to discuss an EU draft statute for the Community even though there was also a statute prepared by the Management Team, and noted that the European draft statute was a good foundation, while Bislimi declined to discuss it.

"The draft statute is crucial for establishing the Community of Serb Municipalities and clearly defined in the agreement. That shows that they (Pristina) do not want to, and will not, establish the Community and that Kurti's policy is one of expulsion of Serbs," Petkovic said.