Serbia, Kosovo reach agreement to implement EU-backed deal normalising ties March 19, 2023 Serbia and Kosovo reach an agreement to implement an EU-backed agreement to normalize relations<br /> March 19, 2023 Creation time: 10:37 AM Last updated: 10:37 AM Views: 26 North Macedonia, March 19 (BNA): Kosovo and Serbia have reached an agreement on implementing an EU-backed deal to normalize relations, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said late Saturday, though the two leaders said differences remain. . Kosovo and Serbia have been locked in EU-backed talks for nearly 10 years since Kosovo declared independence in 2008, nearly a decade after the war ended Serbian rule. But Serbia still considers Kosovo a separate province, and confrontations between its Balkan neighbors have raised fears of a return to conflict. The agreement came on Saturday after 12-hour talks between Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and officials from the European Union regarding the implementation of the agreement agreed upon by the two sides in Brussels last month, according to Reuters. The two leaders held separate meetings with Borrell before a trilateral session in North Macedonia. “Kosovo and Serbia have agreed to implement an annex to the agreement on the way to normalize relations between them,” he told reporters after meeting with the two leaders in the northern Macedonian town of Ohrid. Vucic told a news conference that the two sides did not agree on all points. “Despite the differences, we had a good conversation,” he said. Speaking at a different press conference, Kurti said, “This is a de facto recognition between Kosovo and Serbia” because Serbia has not yet signed the agreement. The EU will now forcefully demand that both sides fulfill their obligations if they want to join the bloc, Borrell said, warning that there would be consequences otherwise. He also touched on the coupling of the Federation of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo, which would give greater autonomy to Serb-majority municipalities, a long-contested topic. “Kosovo agreed to proceed immediately – and when I say immediately, I mean immediately – negotiations with the EU facilitated dialogue on establishing a specific arrangement and safeguards to ensure an adequate level of self-administration for Kosovo’s Serb communities,” said the EU’s top diplomat. In the supplement to the implementation of the agreement published on Saturday evening, the European Union pledged to organize a donor conference within 150 days to prepare an investment and financial aid package for Kosovo and Serbia. HF Source link Related READ MORE SpaceX set for debut flight of Starship rocket system to space
March 19, 2023 Creation time: 10:37 AM Last updated: 10:37 AM Views: 26 North Macedonia, March 19 (BNA): Kosovo and Serbia have reached an agreement on implementing an EU-backed deal to normalize relations, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said late Saturday, though the two leaders said differences remain. . Kosovo and Serbia have been locked in EU-backed talks for nearly 10 years since Kosovo declared independence in 2008, nearly a decade after the war ended Serbian rule. But Serbia still considers Kosovo a separate province, and confrontations between its Balkan neighbors have raised fears of a return to conflict. The agreement came on Saturday after 12-hour talks between Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and officials from the European Union regarding the implementation of the agreement agreed upon by the two sides in Brussels last month, according to Reuters. The two leaders held separate meetings with Borrell before a trilateral session in North Macedonia. “Kosovo and Serbia have agreed to implement an annex to the agreement on the way to normalize relations between them,” he told reporters after meeting with the two leaders in the northern Macedonian town of Ohrid. Vucic told a news conference that the two sides did not agree on all points. “Despite the differences, we had a good conversation,” he said. Speaking at a different press conference, Kurti said, “This is a de facto recognition between Kosovo and Serbia” because Serbia has not yet signed the agreement. The EU will now forcefully demand that both sides fulfill their obligations if they want to join the bloc, Borrell said, warning that there would be consequences otherwise. He also touched on the coupling of the Federation of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo, which would give greater autonomy to Serb-majority municipalities, a long-contested topic. “Kosovo agreed to proceed immediately – and when I say immediately, I mean immediately – negotiations with the EU facilitated dialogue on establishing a specific arrangement and safeguards to ensure an adequate level of self-administration for Kosovo’s Serb communities,” said the EU’s top diplomat. In the supplement to the implementation of the agreement published on Saturday evening, the European Union pledged to organize a donor conference within 150 days to prepare an investment and financial aid package for Kosovo and Serbia. HF
