BELGRADE - I understand that this is a test for public’s impatience but it would be really irresponsible to come out with details and assumptions at this point, says Minister Bogdanovic.

’Belgrade is fully ready to start the dialogue with Pristina’, the Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanovic told the Politika daily. Asked if Serbia had formed the team preparing the negotiations, the Minister replied, ‘We intend to shape our negotiating approach depending on the format of the talks." He could not specify either when the talks could begin or what exactly would be discussed.

’The resolution has just been adopted, and it would be frivolous to offer assessments and engage in guessing game at this point. There is a standard sequence of steps and a specific procedure involved in preparation of such important events. I understand the public impatience, but you must understand that we haven’t even started the preparations for the dialogue. It would really be irresponsible to come out with speculations, assumptions or details at this poitn. The important thing is that the resolution has opened the door for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, while at the same time robbing the Kosovo Albanian leaders of any excuse to avoid negotiations,’ Minister Bogdanovic said.

More precise information regarding the beginning and the topics of the talks are also not available at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, Pristina knows what is it that they certainly do not want to negotiate about. Apart from the status talks, another thing that is unacceptable is the mere possibility of discussing problems in the north of Kosovo in the framework of the future talks, since this is an ‘internal affair’ of Kosovo, all this judging by the statement Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci gave yesterday. In Thaci’s opinion, Pristina and Belgrade should talk about ‘the outstanding issues in the field’, where by the field he means ‘the Balkans region and its EU integration’.

Quite the opposite, commenting on the latest incidents in Kosovska Mitrovica, Minister Bogdanovic stated that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is the road to solution of such issues.

‘By giving this statement Thaci is trying to appease the Kosovo Albanian public. I don’t want to respond to such tactless and rushed statements, aimed exclusively at the Kosovo Albanian political scene. I understand that the adoption of a joint resolution of Serbia and the EU caused certain turbulence in Pristina. The majority of Kosovo analysts, by which I mean the analysts among the Kosovo Albanians, agrees that the adoption of the resolution of Serbia and the EU will cause an increase of difficulties ahead for Pristina, with a completely different new set of circumstances than we had so far – in other words, that now Belgrade can also count on the support of the western factors. We have repeatedly been calling for dialogue on all outstanding issues, status being the most important one surely. But also vital is the issue of protecting and improving the conditions for life of the Kosovo Serbs. Dialogue is the only way to reduce tensions, pacify inflated passions and ultimately find a lasting and mutually acceptable resolution,’ Goran Bogdanovic said.

It seems that the only thing on which Belgrade and Pristine currently agree is that the main role in future negotiations will go to the European Union. "It is evident that the central role in the future dialogue is intended for the EU. However, without the experience and influence of the United Nations, Russia and the United States, it is difficult to imagine a stable running of the already complicated and complex process," Mr. Bogdanovic stated.

Yesterday, after returning from the USA, Hashim Thaci said that the dialogue "will be managed from the office of the Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Issues of EU," and that he is "in daily contact with the United States and the Office of Baroness Catherine Ashton regarding details of the upcoming talks."

G. Novakovic