Serbia Blames Kosovo For Failed Talks

Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaci

A senior Serbian official has blamed Kosovar Albanian leaders for the failure of EU-mediated talks on the future of northern Kosovo.

Presidential adviser Marko Djuric said after a meeting of the Serbian leadership that Serb proposals were rejected by ethnic Albanian officials during the meeting in Brussels that broke up early on April 3.

Earlier, Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said his delegation's proposals were met with "hesitation" by Serbia.

It was the eighth round of talks under the EU-guided process that began in October 2012.

The key issue has been the status of ethnic Serbs living in northern Kosovo.

Kosovo was a region of Serbia until it declared independence in 2008, a move that Belgrade does not recognize.

Belgrade must normalize its relations with Kosovo and other neighbors before it can be considered for EU membership.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP