Serbian public broadcaster RTS interrupted its programme on Friday afternoon with breaking news that delegations of Serbia and Kosovo had initialled an agreement at EU-brokered talks in Brussels on the degree of autonomy and powers of the association of Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo.
RTS said that in the presence of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Serbia was given a guarantee by NATO that Kosovo's security forces would not be allowed to enter the Serb pocket in the north of the country, except in the event of a natural disaster when they would need permission from NATO and the local Serb community.
Political analyst Dusan Janjic said that the application of the agreement would depend on the authority of the governments in Belgrade and Pristina, especially on whether Belgrade would manage to reach a political deal with Serb leaders in northern Kosovo. He said that the compromise reached in Brussels made it possible for the two countries to move forward.
Media reports from Brussels emphasised that the proposals of the Serbian negotiators were accepted and that at Belgrade's urging the disputed point 14 of the agreement was modified to ensure that Serbia and Kosovo would not block each other in the European integration process.
Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic was quoted as saying that "this is the best of all offers Belgrade has got so far". He said that point 14 was reworded to say that Serbia must not obstruct Kosovo's EU integration, but made no reference to its bids for membership in international organisations, as was previously proposed.
Dacic noted that he did not sign the agreement but only initialled it, adding that the two parties would decide on its acceptance or rejection in the coming days.
"Our institutions will decide in the coming days whether we will accept it or reject it," Dacic said. He added that Belgrade would notify Ashton in writing on Monday whether it accepted the deal or not.
Serbian electronic media quoted Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj as saying that the agreement meant that Serbia recognised Kosovo's independence.
Thaci said that it was a historic agreement that guaranteed recognition of Kosovo's independence and territorial integrity by Serbia, and that it paved the way for further normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo.
Hoxhay was quoted as saying on his Twitter account that Serbia from now on would treat Kosovo "as a neighbour and partner, just like all other independent states in Europe."
Kosovo's EU Integration Minister Vlora Citaku tweeted: "And the white smoke is out! Habemus pactum! Happy:)))"
The breaking news from Brussels completely overshadowed today's message by Kosovo Serb leaders to the Serbian negotiators in Brussels that they should not sign any agreement that was harmful to the Serbs. They also called for a referendum to be held in Serbia at which citizens would say whether they want Kosovo to be a part of Serbia or they accept the terms for getting a date for the start of membership talks with the EU.
