The EU’s prime diplomat Josep Borrell has introduced an settlement on the liberty of motion between Belgrade and Pristina
Serbia and Kosovo have reached an “settlement on freedom of motion” following weeks of tensions, the EU’s prime diplomat Josep Borrell stated on Saturday, including that he was “glad to announce” the deal between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo’s prime minister Albin Kurti.
Following the final week’s assembly between the 2 leaders in Brussels and “intense follow-up efforts in Pristina and Belgrade,” Serbia agreed to abolish entry and exit paperwork for Kosovo ID holders, and Kosovo agreed to not introduce ones for Serbian ID holders, Borrell stated in an announcement.
Serbs residing within the northern a part of the breakaway province in addition to different Kosovo residents will have the ability to freely journey between Serbia and Kosovo utilizing their present ID playing cards, the assertion stated, including that the EU had “obtained ensures from Prime Minister Kurti to this finish.”
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Borrell then praised the event by saying that “we discovered a European answer that facilitates journey between Kosovo and Serbia.” He additionally significantly lauded Vucic’s actions by saying that the Serbian president “confirmed duty and management at the moment.” The senior EU diplomat additionally thanked the US “for his or her help to the EU-facilitated dialogue,” calling it “an instance of fantastic sensible EU-US cooperation.”
Borrell admitted that “the issue with the license plates” had not but been resolved and referred to as on the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to “proceed displaying pragmatism and constructiveness” on this regard as effectively. Nonetheless, he stated that “at the moment is an excellent day.”
Belgrade seemingly didn’t share Brussels’ joyful sentiment. Chatting with Serbian residents on Saturday, Vucic described the talks with “Albanians from Kosovo” as “very unsuccessful, extraordinarily tough,” including that “ultimately we got here to the purpose that we don’t agree on something.”
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The Serbian chief insisted that “mutual recognition” won’t ever be on the agenda as Belgrade “can’t neglect that Kosovo is a part of Serbia.” He additionally stated that officers in Brussels are losing their money and time in the event that they suppose they’d have the ability to facilitate such an settlement.
Vucic did affirm that Serbia would settle for Kosovo’s IDs on the subject of journey however would solely accomplish that “for sensible causes,” to “allow freedom of motion.” Such a step “can’t be interpreted as recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, nor does it prejudice sovereignty,” he added.
What’s necessary is that “Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija can transfer and enter and depart the territory of Kosovo and Metohija freely,” Vucic stated, including that Belgrade is asking “for ensures from EU, we ask that each Serb from the north of Kosovo and Metohija can enter the territory of Kosovo and Metohija with Serbian paperwork, and that they’ll depart every time they need.”
We’re at all times prepared for a compromise, however we’ve got not come to that. Kurti is satisfied that with their propaganda, they are going to reach convincing the Serbian folks to surrender their state of Serbia.
The event got here a day after the US envoy for the Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, referred to as on Serbia to acknowledge Kosovo and promised prosperity within the EU for each of them as a substitute. Vucic responded by saying that he was not shocked to listen to one thing like that from a US diplomat.
“Don’t neglect that he represents American politics. What do you count on from him, what information is that this for you?!” the Serbian president stated on Saturday, including that “they [the US] inform us this for 23 years!”
