Josep Borrell announced a pact between Serbia and Kosovo to normalize the relationship between the two countries. Belgrade and Pristina will now recognize each other’s official documents.
EITHER The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, announced this Saturday a pact between Serbia and Kosovoto implement “in good faith” the proposal of the European Union (EU) for the normalization of relations between the two countries.
Josep Borrell met this Saturday in Ohrid, North Macedonia, with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, to develop a roadmap for the implementation of the EU planalthough no agreement has been signed.
Kosovo and Serbia”fully committed to respect all articles of the agreement and to implement them in good faith“said the High Community Representative for Foreign Policy after a 12-hour meeting.
The EU politician was trying to negotiate with the interlocutors how to implement the details of the agreement proposed by the EU on February 27 in Brussels. The agreement establishes that Belgrade and Pristina recognize each other’s official documentsso that citizens can travel freely between the two countries, and that Serbia does not prevent Kosovo from joining international organizations.
“It’s about how the agreement is implemented, the practical steps, who takes them and how. They say the devil is in the details and sometimes the devil is in the schedule.“said Josep Borrell, admitting that it was not an easy negotiation.
The official announced that Kosovo promised to start “immediately” negotiations with the EU to cede an “adequate level of self-government” to the country’s Serb community. But, he added, unfortunately there is no signed agreement, since Kosovo “lacks flexibility” and that Serbia “refused to sign” “as a matter of principle”, although he is willing to implement the agreement.
Josep Borrell said he will present a report to EU foreign ministers at their meeting in Brussels on Monday, and to European Union leaders at their summit in the same city on Thursday and Friday.
Aleksandar Vucic said he was satisfied with the progress made in the meeting with the EU and Kosovo towards normalization between the two countries, especially regarding Pristina’s obligation to cede some autonomy to the Kosovo Serb population. “It is of great importance to us that the the formation of the Association of Serbian Municipalities has been placed as a priority commitment”, he said.
The Association of Serb-majority Municipalities in Kosovo, a type of autonomy in areas such as education, health and the economy, was agreed in 2013 with the mediation of the EUbut it has not yet been implemented in the face of strong opposition from Pristina.
Serbia demanded its creation as a condition for any further action. Albin Kurti regretted that the Serbian president did not sign the agreement. “Now it’s up to the EU to make it internationally binding.”, he said.
Serbia does not recognize the independence that its former province of Kosovo, populated by a large majority of ethnic Albanians, proclaimed in 2008 from the US, after months of tensions between the two countries. They both want to join the EU, but the European bloc believes they need to improve relations first.
Kosovo is a former ethnically Albanian majority Serb province. The 1998-1999 war broke out when ethnic Albanian separatists revolted against Serb rule, and Belgrade responded with a brutal crackdown. Some 13,000 people died, the majority of ethnic Albanians. In 1999, a NATO military intervention forced Serbia to withdraw from the territory. Kosovo declared its independence in 2008.
Source: Observadora
