The U.S. Government has »welcomed» the agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia for the normalization of bilateral relations, while thanking the European Union for its role as mediator between the parties.
The Secretary of the US Department of State, Antony Blinken, has praised the authorities of both countries »for their leadership in reaching this agreement», since »it will guarantee important opportunities for the population and will accelerate their path towards accession to the European Union».
Likewise, Blinken has indicated that Washington will continue to actively participate in the coordination for the implementation of the agreements »in pursuit of a predictable and peaceful relationship», in order to improve the »stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans».
»We thank the EU for facilitating the talks and the Government of North Macedonia for welcoming the parties and supporting the finalization of this agreement,» the secretary of state said.
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, announced on Saturday that the top leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have reached an agreement after a marathon twelve-hour meeting.
Borrell recalled that both Kosovo and Serbia have EU membership as a strategic goal and for that »Serbia and Kosovo need to normalize their relations». »This agreement is an important step to make it a reality. We will continue to work tirelessly until we reach a comprehensive agreement for the normalization of their relations,» the head of European diplomacy stressed.
For his part, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, stressed that, despite the agreement, nothing new has been signed; while the Kosovar Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, described the agreement as »de facto mutual recognition», although he remarked that »the other side (…) is running away from signing».
Belgrade and Pristina have been negotiating for decades in Brussels with poor results and a poor record of implementation of the agreements already reached, weighed down by the conflicts arising from the violent secession of Kosovo from Serbia in the late 1990s.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
