European diplomacy chief Josep Borrell on Saturday announced a pact between Serbia and Kosovo to implement “in good faith” the European Union’s (EU) proposal for normalization of relations between the two countries.
Josep Borrell met with Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vucic, and Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti, on Saturday in the city of Ohrid, North Macedonia, to develop a roadmap for implementing the EU plan, although he did not has. agreement has been signed.
Kosovo and Serbia “are fully committed to respecting and implementing in good faith all articles of the agreement,” the Community’s High Representative for Foreign Policy said after a 12-hour meeting.
The EU politician tried to negotiate with interlocutors on the implementation of the details of the agreement proposed by the EU on February 27 in Brussels.
The pact calls on Belgrade and Pristina to recognize each other’s official documents so that citizens can travel freely between the two countries, and Serbia must not prevent Kosovo from joining international organisations.
“It’s about how the agreement is implemented, the practical measures, who takes it and how. They say the devil is in the details and sometimes in the calendar,” said Josep Borrell, who admitted it was not an easy trade.
The official announced that Kosovo was determined to “immediately” begin negotiations with the EU to cede an “appropriate level of autonomous management” to the country’s Serb community.
But he added that unfortunately no agreement has been signed as Kosovo “has no flexibility” and Serbia “refused to sign” as a “matter of principle” although it is willing to implement the agreement.
Josep Borrell said he would 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 pleased with the progress made during the meeting with the EU and Kosovo towards normalization between the two countries, especially with regard to Pristina’s obligation to cede some autonomy to the Serb population from Kosovo.
“It is of great importance to us that the establishment of the Association of Serbian Municipalities is placed as a priority commitment,” he said.
The Association of Serb-majority Municipalities in Kosovo, a form of autonomy in areas such as education, health and the economy, was agreed with EU mediation in 2013, but has yet to be implemented despite strong opposition from Pristina.
Serbia demanded its establishment as a precondition for further action.
Albin Kurti regretted that the Serbian president had not signed the agreement.
“Now it’s up to the EU to make it internationally binding,” he said.
Serbia recognizes the independence that the former province of Kosovo, populated by a large majority of ethnic Albanians, failed to declare in 2008.
Officials from the two countries agreed last month to negotiate normalization based on an EU plan backed by the US after months of tension between the two countries.
The two want to join the EU, but the European bloc thinks they should improve relations first.
Kosovo is a former Serbian province of mostly Albanian ethnicity. The 1998-1999 war broke out as ethnic Albanian separatists revolted against Serbian rule and Belgrade responded with ruthless repression.
About 13,000 people died, most of them ethnic Albanians. In 1999, NATO military intervention forced Serbia to withdraw from the area. Kosovo declared independence in 2008.
Source: DN
