"Belgrade continues to provide economic aid to Serbs"

"Belgrade continues to provide economic aid to Serbs"

BELGRADE -- Belgrade continues to financially help Serbs in Kosovo, but that support should go to development, rather that serve to "pay them to stay (in Kosovo)."

This is what the head of the Serbian government's media office, Milivoje Mihajlović, told B92 TV on Wednesday.

Speaking about yesterday's meeting between representatives of Kosovo Serbs and Belgrade authorities, he said it was "indeed a turning point because it achieved unity among the Serbs, but also unity with Belgrade."

According to Mihajlović, this would not have happened "if Belgrade itself did not start to look differently at the involvement of Serbs in Kosovo."

"Proof of this is the creation of a single list of Serbs who participated in the election and achieved supremacy in the political representation of Serbs. This list has received nine seats, with a possibility to negotiate for some additional seats," said he.

This official added that "without the decisions of Belgrade there would not be this unity," and that "proof of this is that the unity was lacking in the past 15 years." Mihajlović also said that this "new reality begun as early as during the talks in Brussels."

"This unity is important not only so that Serbs influence developments in Kosovo, but also so that Belgrade may influence developments in Kosovo," Mihajlović believes.

An important message from yesterday's meeting was to encourage Belgrade Serbs to join the Kosovo government. "It also sends a clear message that Serbs should enter the government, not to be the bad guys, that they need to cooperate, if this cooperation brings good for them, and thus have a chance to get what they were...