Kosovo Serbia agreement

Belgrade and Pristina finally agreed on the future of Serb-run North Kosovo in the tenth round of EU-led talks on April 19.      

photo source: https://twitter.com/AshtonSpox_Maja/media/grid#

EU Commissioner for enlargement, Stefan Fule, congratulated both Serbia and Kosovo on reaching the agreement and expressed his support on their European path:

 

The two teams adopted a 15-point draft agreement, presented by Ashton in the ninth round of talks, on April 17. According to Ashton, the text of the agreement has been initialled by both prime ministers.

Text of the agreement in Albanian and English: 

http://gazetaexpress.com/?cid=1,13,109459

The draft agreement envisions that the local Serbian community will choose local police commanders, while the composition of the police will reflect the ethnic structure on the ground. The draft also proposes more judges coming from the Serbian minority.

A so-called Association of Serb Municipalities with broad powers will include the four Serb-run northern municipalities of North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok.

EU High Representatives for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton, and EU Commissioner for enlargement, Stefan Fule, have informed the European Council today of the progress made in Belgrade-Pristina talks and the progress of both countries on their way towards the EU accession, after which the Council may grant Serbia an accession talks date in June.

On his twitter account EU Commissioner for enlargement, Stefan Fule, informed the public that the Commission has adopted recommendation to the EU Member States to open negotiations a SAA with Kosovo and a proposal to Member State allowing Kosovo to participate in EU programmes and for EU membership with Serbia:

You can read the full report presented by the EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy Cahterine Ashton to the European Parliament and the Council on on Kosovo's progress in addressing issues set out in the Council Conclusions of December 2012 in view of a possible decision on the opening of negotiations on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement in the following link: 

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2013/ks_spring_report_2013_en.pdf 

Comments on today's positive recommendations for Kosovo from the European Commission can be seen on twitter accounts of the highest Kosovo officials including Foreign Affairs Minister Enver Hoxhaj, the Kosovo Minister for European Intergation Vlora Citaku and Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga:

Serbian government has adopted today the First agreement on the principles governing the normalisation of relations, reached through dialogue on Kosovo in Brussels. More on the twitter comment from the Serbian government:

International state officials are congratulating Serbia and Kosovo on reaching the agreement on April 19th in Brussels and Serbian government on ratifying the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. More in the following comments:

 

Most Serbs in northern Kosovo who feel betrayed by a historic deal reached by Belgrade and Pristina to normalize the relations between the two countries organized protests in Mitrovica, Northern Kosovo, at noon today.

                                      Source: http://twitpic.com/cl45i4

Also in the Serbian capital of Belgrade several hundred protesters from the Serbian nationalist organization Dveri gathered yesterday to protest against recognition of Kosovo as an independent state. You can watch the protests in the following clip published on the Dveri webpage  - http://www.dverisrpske.com/sr-CS/index.php

                                                               Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz52HyEeBc8

The Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS, led by former Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, has scheduled a protest in Belgrade for today at 15:00 CET over the government's decision to initial an agreement with Kosovo. The party will call on Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and the government to resign. 

Here are some photos from twitter of protests in Belgrade: 

                                                        photo source: https://twitter.com/TMoens/status/326364072863997952  

                                           photo source: https://twitter.com/Mitrala/status/326370951199588352

                                             photo source: https://twitter.com/srbijadanas/status/326437655292293121

 You can read more in the following twitter comments:

  

Twitter comments from the social media users from Serbia on the agreement signed between Belgrade and Pristina on April 19th you can found below:

Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) has appealed on the Serbian authorities that by ratifying the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina signed on April 19th in Brussels Serbs will pay a high price for securing the date for the EU accession negotiations for Serbia. More in the following twitter comments: