Kosovo's Thaci offers "handshake" to Tadic
09/03/2009

It is time to open a new chapter in Belgrade-Pristina relations, the Kosovo prime minister said.

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci on Sunday (March 8th) invited his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic to visit Kosovo -- but only if it is an inter-state visit.

"I am ready to welcome Tadic as president of Serbia if he agrees to come to the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo," Thaci said.

His statement came during a roundtable debate in Caglavica, during which he also urged displaced Serbs to return to Kosovo.

"As you know, Belgrade every day calls for handcuffs and a jail cell for me personally," the prime minister said. "I invite President Tadic to forget the handcuffs and jail cell and come to my office -- to the office of the prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo -- for a handshake in order to launch inter-state co-operation."

"This is the best decision and the right decision for Tadic to make in terms of the stability of Serbia in the region, the Serb community in Kosovo and our Atlantic future," he said, calling for a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Pristina is always ready to communicate with Belgrade and to co-operate on issues concerning Serbs within Kosovo -- provided this is done within the framework of the Ahtisaari Plan, the prime minister added.

Making an appeal to displaced Serbs, he pledged that the government would do everything it could to guarantee them a secure and stable life.

"Kosovo is the homeland of all citizens without ethnic differences. The government and I are committed to the prosperity of all Serbs and other communities in Kosovo," he said, promising that the authorities would allocate extra financial aid to help implement various projects.

Kosovo's minister for returns and communities, Sasha Rashic, said he was personally committed to increasing the number of displaced persons who return to Kosovo.

"The reality is that during 2008 we have had fewer people returning," he said. "In total, we had 664 persons coming back to Kosovo, including 222 Serbs."

However, he added, the government anticipates the return this month of some 20 Serb families to a village near NovoBrdo, and some 20 other families to the region of Istog.

Despite the government assurances, however, tensions continue in the ethnically divided north. On Sunday, Kosovo Serb protesters clashed with the local police, leaving at least 14 Serbs and five police officers injured.

The riots were prompted by electricity cut-offs lasting more than a week, media reports said.

Tadic himself helped the USA to devide Kosovo. Why he doesn't force country to recognize it?

Tries not to lose face too much