BELGRADE – The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have agreed on how to implement an European Union-backed deal to normalise ties, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said today.
The agreement came after 12 hours of talks between Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and EU officials in Ohrid, North Macedonia, reported Anadolu Agency.
“Kosovo and Serbia have agreed on the Implementation Annex of the Agreement on the path to normalisation of relations. The parties have fully committed to honouring all articles of the agreement and implementing their respective obligations expediently and in good faith,” Josep Borrell told reporters.
Vucic said after the meeting that some sort of agreement was reached. “Certainly this will not be all. These few points that we have agreed on will become part of the negotiation framework for both sides.”
But Kurti said Vucic did not sign the implementation deal today. “Now it is up to the European Union to find a mechanism to make this agreement legally and internationally binding,” he added.
Launched in 2011, the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue aims to find a mutually agreeable solution for disputes in the framework of a legally binding agreement.
The EU requires Kosovo and Serbia to reach a final agreement and resolve disputes to progress their integration into the bloc.
Most United Nations member states, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Turkiye, recognised Kosovo as a separate country after it declared independence from Serbia 15 years ago. Serbia, however, continues to regard it as its territory.
The 11-point agreement calls on the sides to maintain good neighbourly relations, and recognise each other’s documents such as passports and licence plates. – Bernama, March 19, 2023
