Meeting in Brussels today for dinar, Kosovo represented by BEC officials

Today the meeting will be held between Kosovo and Serbia, called by EU mediator Miroslav Lajcak in Brussels. The party has been held by Lajcak's parties to discuss Kosovo Central Bank's new arrangement for cash operations.

Days ago, Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi has indicated he will not go to this meeting, declaring that “the dinar issue is part of the” dialogue.

Kosovo this time represents the Kosovo Central Bank, which has confirmed to T7 that they will participate in the meeting when something like that is necessary.

The Department for Public Relations and Financial Education has said that the BEC has indicated long ago ready to meet with the People's Bank of Serbia, and that the same answers to invitations when needed for such informative meetings.

“The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (BQK) has long ago expressed readiness to engage and also meet with the People's Bank of Serbia (NBS), to talk about selecting option easier for the process of transferring means through bank channels to beneficiary accounts (in Euro). In this sense, even responds to invitations when necessary for such informative meetings, as has consistently done with international presence in the country”, says the BQC's response.

For the initial meeting Tuesday, in Government have not made clear who exactly will represent Kosovo. Meanwhile, in Serbia they have declared that chief of the Office for Kosovo and chief negotiator Petar Petkov will represent Serbia.

At the meeting, Kosovo will be represented by Kosovo Central Bank Governor Ahmet Ismaili. RTK has learned within the CEC that Ismaili has responded positively to the invitation sent by the European Union and has travelled to the European capital.

All I can say is that there will be a meeting tomorrow. Tomorrow's dialogue meeting will focus on the solutions to many open questions concerning the recent decision to operate with cash ready from the Kosovo Central Bank. It will begin in the morning and follow the regular format of dialogue. And both sides, as far as I know, have confirmed the turnout”, said Nabila Masrali, EU spokeswoman.

A few days ago, Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi has accused EU mediator Miroslav Lajcak of violating the principles he established himself in the beginning by calling a meeting without co-ordination with the parties. He has thus turned down the February 27th invitation.

The Bislim Declaration, the EU spokesman, has called it unacceptable.

As of February 1st, the BQC's new regulation of cash ready, which says the only means of payment in Kosovo is euro currency.

The introduction of the dinar in Kosovo has not been allowed since that date. At the border checkpoint in Jarinje, in some cases the vans filled with this currency of Serbia have been turned back.

Serbia's state allocates millions of euros to Serbs in Kosovo after paying them through a parallel system of salaries, pensions and social assistance.

Belgrade has sharply criticised the BEC rule, interpreting it as the goal of the Kosovo government to expel Serbs.

The CEC's regulation has also been criticised by the international community, which has said the decision has been taken without preliminary consultations and without taking on the impact of the Serb community.

Despite statements and clashes with European Union officials on the dinar issue, Kosovo will participate in the meeting called on the issue.