BELGRADE (Serbia), July 10 (SeeNews) – The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue for normalisation of relations will resume on July 16 and not on July 12 as planned because Serbia holds a position which is different from that of the other participants, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday.
"Now everything has changed - we will have a video conference on Sunday, and the resumption of the dialogue is planned for Thursday in Brussels, with the participation of both delegations," Vucic said in an interview broadcast live by private broadcaster TV Pink.
Pristina's terms are excessive and any negotiations are pointless under such circumstances, Vucic said in Paris following a virtual meeting with Kosovo prime minister Avdullah Hoti hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"See what they want. Firstly, the preservation of the territorial integrity of Kosovo. Secondly, the preservation of the Constitution and the constitutional organisation of Kosovo. Thirdly, permanent mutual recognition, not the model of two Germanys. Fourthly, membership in the United Nations (UN), and other European countries recognising Kosovo. Then, they will deal with the issue of missing persons and war damage," Vucic said.
A new virtual meeting will be held on Sunday, he noted.
The German and French governments will issue a joint statement on the meeting, as there were issues on which they did not hold the same opinion as Serbia, Vucic added.
On Monday, EU spokesman Peter Stano said Belgrade and Pristina will resume the dialogue for reaching a comprehensive and legally-binding agreement on the normalisation of their relations in Brussels on July 12, to be hosted by EU High Representative Josep Borrell and facilitated by the EU special representative for the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak.
The meeting had to take place following the virtual summit hosted by French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Angela Merkel on July 10, he added.
The Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, launched in 2010, aims for the parties to achieve a comprehensive legally binding agreement solving all outstanding issues in order to progress on their European integration path.
Serbia withdrew from the dialogue in November 2018, after Kosovo's government decided to increase the import tax on all goods produced in Serbia and Bosnia to 100% from 10% set earlier that month, saying the move aimed to protect Kosovo's sovereignty and interests. On June 6, Kosovo's new government of prime minister Avdullah Hoti removed all barriers to trade with Serbia, paving the way for a resumption of normalisation negotiations with Belgrade.