Serbia and Kosovo normalize their relations

SAccording to the EU foreign policy representative, Serbia and Kosovo are Josep Borrell came close to a settlement of their relations. “We have a deal,” said the top diplomat late on Saturday evening after twelve-hour marathon negotiations in North Macedonia’s Ohrid on the lake of the same name.

of Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti reached an extensive agreement on the implementation of an agreement, which is intended to put relations between the two hostile Balkan countries on a new footing.

Serbia should take note of Kosovo’s statehood

At the same time, however, the two sides did not follow the “more ambitious ideas” of the EU mediators, Borrell told the media in Ohrid. He did not address the differences in content. Work will continue “until a comprehensive agreement is reached,” he added.

Today inhabited almost exclusively by Albanians Kosovo seceded from Serbia in 1999 with NATO aid and declared independence in 2008. To this day, Serbia has not recognized this.

Under the new agreement, Belgrade will not recognize Kosovo under international law, but will acknowledge the statehood of its former province. In particular, it is supposed to recognize Kosovo’s passports, license plates and customs documents, which it has not done to this day. Kosovo, in turn, should institutionally secure the rights of the Serbian ethnic group in the country.

At a first meeting on February 27, both sides agreed Draft Agreement verbally agreed that the EU based on a Franco-German proposal. On Saturday, both sides reached an extensive agreement on the specific deadlines and dates contained in the annex to implement the individual points of the agreement.