Sarrazin: Pristina knows that the CSM must be discussed, it is important that the Serbian side return to the institutions

Special Envoy of Germany for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, said today in Brussels that Pristina knew that the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (CSM) were to be discussed, Informer reports.

"The CSM was agreed in 2013 within the Brussels Agreement, and I think it is clear to Pristina that this discussion must take place," Sarrazin told Tanjug.

Speaking about the current situation in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Sarrazin, who took part in a panel discussion at the EU-WB Summit in Brussels today, organized by "Friends of Europe", pointed out that the situation was tense.

"We have a very tense situation in the dialogue, especially regarding North Mitrovica. We want, of course, for the situation to be stable and safe. This means that everything should be done on both sides, that they should be flexible so that there is no escalation," the German Envoy said.

Sarrazin, speaking of the content of the updated European proposal supported by France and Germany, and which according to the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, had been sent to Belgrade and Pristina, reiterated that it was important to remove doubts about whose proposal it was.

"It is a European proposal. It is clear from the beginning. It was first presented by Miroslav Lajcak on behalf of the EU, together with the advisers of President (France's Emmanuel) Macron and Chancellor (Germany's Olaf) Scholz when they were in the region. If you want to have a strong position there, you can only have it if it is clear that it is a European proposal," Sarrazin says.

When asked what was the priority now- whether it is the resolution of the institutional situation, which means the participation of Serbs in the temporary institutions of Pristina in order to avoid a security crisis and the parties to devote themselves to other problems, Sarrazin says that "it is very important that the current situation be resolved and that the Serbian side returns to the institutions and provides services to citizens from the north".

He emphasized that the issue of the return of Serbs to the institutions, however, should not be an excuse to stop the dialogue on other problems.

"That doesn't stop you from talking about other things," the German official said.