Serbia - Kosovo

Serbia, Kosovo make progress in negotiations

09.07.2013 u 01:23

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Prime Ministers Ivica Dacic of Serbia and Hashim Thaci of Kosovo achieved progress in Brussels on Monday in the handling of telecom and energy issues, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said in a statement.

The texts of the agreements on the telecoms and energy are nearly completed, she said after the 13th round of Serbia-Kosovo negotiations under the EU's auspices.

In April, the two sides reached a historic agreement on the normalisation of relations and are now discussing its implementation plan.

Ashton announced that she would visit Belgrade and Pristina in the next few days. Dacic and Thaci will meet in Brussels again on July 24.

Thaci said agreement in principle was reached on the telecommunications and energy issues, and that some details would be discussed when Ashton visited Belgrade and Pristina.

Dacic said certain progress had been made but that outstanding details remained.

The implementation of the normalisation agreement will be an essential condition for convening the first accession conference at which Serbia is expected to open EU entry talks and Kosovo talks on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement.