Serbia, Kosovo to resume talks on September 2

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said the next round of talks between Serbia and Kosovo will take place on September 2 in Brussels.The Belgrade-Pristina talks mandated by the European Union began in March, but stalled last month after Kosovo imposed a ban on imports from Serbia and sent its troops to take control of two border crossings with Serbia in an effort to enforce the ban. Ethnic Serbs in Northern Kosovo attacked the posts and NATO troops stepped in to restore order.Belgrade does not recognize Kosovos 2008 declaration of independence and has protested Pristinas use of its own customs stamps.Serbia demands that Kosovos stamps must not contain any attributes of statehood. The issue is expected to be discussed at the meeting in Brussels.Djelic said Belgrade will make every effort to reach an agreement with Pristina regarding the stamps and Kosovos representation in international bodies. But he said Belgrade will not consent to any deal that violates Serbias policy.Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo, who do not recognize the government Pristina, on Tuesday, protested the building of a bridge over the River Sitnica, citing security concerns. The bridge would connect the Serb community with villages populated by ethnic Albanians.The commander of NATO forces in Kosovo, Erhard Buehler, told them he cannot prevent the construction, but he can provide security at the bridge.