Borrell, disappointed with Kosovo and Serbia/ "We will put pressure on both sides"

2024-03-18 12:10:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Borrell, disappointed with Kosovo and Serbia/ "We will put pressure on both

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy and Security, Josep Borrell, said on Monday in Brussels that the international pressure will continue on Kosovo and Serbia, to implement their obligations from the agreement reached a year ago, with in order to normalize relations between the two countries.

Borrell made these statements while speaking to journalists, on the eve of the ministerial meeting of the Council of Foreign Affairs of the EU.

Once again, Borrell regretted that a year after the Ohrid Agreement was reached, the level of its implementation by the parties was much lower than he had expected.

He referred to the compatibility between Kosovo and Serbia for the annexation of an agreement, for which the parties had dinner in February last year in Brussels.

"Today is the first anniversary of the Ohrid Agreement. Time is flying and it has already been a year since we reached the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, so that they could move forward towards normalization. Unfortunately, despite the broad international and European Union support, Serbia and Kosovo have achieved very little progress", said Borrell to the journalists, also announcing the next meeting within the framework of the dialogue, at the level of chief negotiators.

"Soon we will have the next meeting of the chief negotiators here in Brussels. I regret that this agreement, which was very difficult to reach, has not been implemented. We will continue to pressure both sides to move forward. But, a year later, the implementation has not been as much as I had expected it to be", said the head of EU diplomacy.

He made similar comments on Sunday in a communique issued by his office, on the anniversary of the Ohrid Agreement.

Meanwhile, the next meeting in the framework of the dialogue has been announced for Tuesday in Brussels, where Kosovo and Serbia will be represented by the chief negotiators.

Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi is expected to participate from Kosovo, while the Serbian delegation is led by the director of the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, Petar Petkovic.

The European Union has warned that in this meeting it will be discussed to find a solution about the use of currency in Kosovo as well as other urgent issues, including the implementation of the Agreement on the way to the normalization of relations.

The decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo - to implement a regulation that defines the euro as the only currency for cash payments - has been considered a "ban on the Serbian dinar" and has been criticized by the international community as a "unilateral decision, uncoordinated and not communicated in advance".

According to the EU and the United States, this decision has caused practical problems for some communities in Kosovo, which receive financial assistance from Serbia.

In search of a solution, a meeting was held in Brussels a week ago where the CBK delegation from Kosovo participated, but not the Government of Kosovo.

The Government of Kosovo has insisted that this is not a political issue, but is the competence of the CBK as an independent financial institution.

However, the EU considers that due to the practical and political consequences, this issue should also be resolved through dialogue./ REL