Head of the Serbian negotiating team in the Belgrade-Pristina talks Borko Stefanovic has stated that the issue of north Kosovo has to be resolved in a manner which would preserve peace and stability.

Stefanovic stated for the Zvecan-based TV Most in Kosovo-Metohija that the Serbian negotiating team has not been sent to Brussels to pave the way for Kosovo's independence or to recognize its independence, but rather to address concrete issues.

"One of the issues is north Kosovo, and it has to be resolved in a manner which will preserve peace and stability," Stefanovic said, and called on the citizens of Kosovo-Metohija to be collected, not to respond to any provocations and manipulations, and to take care of themselves and their property in this area.

"The fact that Serb citizens have managed to stay in Kosovo in spite of all difficulties and expulsion is a guarantee that the Republic of Serbia is present in Kosovo-Metohija and that Kosovo-Metohija is part of the state of Serbia," Stefanovic said.

He announced that the dialogue with Pristina will be continued late in March, adding that the opinion and position of Kosovo Serbs will for the time being be presented by the current negotiating team, but that this does not exclude the possibility that one day they will be personally present at the meetings in Brussels.

Belgrade and Pristina will endeavor to implement all that has been agreed on during the talks through the decision made by their competent bodies, he said.

"I am surprised by Pristina's claims that they will do everything in their might not to change their laws and regulations, since I am not sure that something like that is possible," he said, adding that it is positive that the EU is a partner, mediator and participant in the talks since it thereby assumes the role of a guarantor that all that has been arranged in the talks will be implemented in the field.

Stefanovic said that the relations with the EU are good, adding that he got an impression that the EU is satisfied with the manner in which the talks were opened. "New topics will trigger new disagreements between the negotiating teams, but this will not prevent us from reaching an adequate solution," Stefanovic said.