USA and EU: Serbia and Kosovo should return to dialogue

2023-10-20 22:21:28, Kosova & Bota CNA

The United States and the European Union have called on Friday for the "quick and unconditional" implementation of the Agreement for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, and for the two countries to return to dialogue.

This position is also included in the joint statement, approved at the summit between the USA and the EU, which was held on October 20 in Washington.

The host of the summit was the US President, Joe Biden, together with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, while the EU was represented by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the High Representative of EU for Foreign Policy and Security, Josep Borrell.

"We reaffirm our common commitment to stability in the Western Balkans and support the European perspective of the region. All partners must continue the required reforms, in order to advance in their European journey" , it was said in the part of the statement dedicated to this region.

Then, in a special way, the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, through the dialogue facilitated by the European Union, is mentioned.

"We underline the need for Kosovo and Serbia to urgently reduce tensions and quickly and unconditionally implement the Agreement on the path towards normalization of relations between them and return to the dialogue facilitated by the EU", the statement said, among other things .

This statement was issued a day before the visit that will be conducted by five Western officials in Kosovo and Serbia, with the main purpose - the revival of the dialogue between the two countries.

This is how the European Union justified the visits of its envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, together with the American envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, and high officials from France, Emanuel Bonne, Germany, Jens Plotner and Italy. Francesco Talo, in Pristina and Belgrade.

But, after the developments in Banjska i Zveçan, the Kosovo authorities have said that things can no longer be the same regarding the course of the dialogue.

On September 24, Kosovo Police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed in Banjska, as a result of attacks by an armed Serbian group.

In the ongoing exchange of fire between the police and that group, three attackers were also killed.

The responsibility for the attack was taken by the former vice-president of the Serbian List, Millan Radoicic, who then gave up all functions of the party, which enjoys the support of official Belgrade.

Kosovo is looking for the extradition of Radoicic from Serbia.

Kosovo blames Serbia for the September 24 attack, but it rejects all claims.

Western diplomats have mentioned several times that the implementation of the Agreement reached on February 27 in Brussels is a key step for the way forward towards European integration.

The agreement with 11 articles does not oblige Serbia to recognize Kosovo, but requires both countries to accept each other's documents and symbols, including: passports, diplomas and license plates.

Kosovo and Serbia are part of the dialogue mediated by the EU, for the normalization of relations, since 2011.

The parties have signed many agreements, but not all of them have been implemented./ REL