• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Ashton Says Serbia, Kosovo Reach Deal

April 19, 2013

by RFE/RL

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia have concluded with an agreement initialed by both sides.

She emerged from the talks expressing congratulates to both sides for their "courage."

The talks, being led by the Serbian and Kosovar prime ministers, were aimed at reaching a deal to normalize ties between Serbia and Kosovo and settle the status of Kosovo’s Serbian minority, which does not recognize the ethnic Albanian Kosovo leadership.

A deal could clear the way for Serbia to start negotiations toward EU membership.

"The negotiations have concluded," Ashton announced on April 19. "The text has been initialed by both prime ministers. I want to congratulate them for their determination over these months and for the courage that they have. It's very important that now what we are seeing is a step away from the past and for both of them a step closer to Europe."

The fresh meeting came after some 14 hours of negotiations on April 17, also involving Dacic and Thaci, ended without a deal.

The two sides headed home from Brussels at the time but were reportedly called back for more talks.

Ashton had said she hoped a deal could be reached before an EU meeting on April 22 at which Serbia is due to be discussed.

Based on reporting by RFE/RL Brussels correspondent Rikard Jozwiak; with additional reporting by Reuters and dpa

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/eu-serbia-kosovo-talks/24962271.html

Copyright (c) 2013. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.