The High Representative of the European Union for foreign policy, Josep Borrell, has announced a pact between Serbia and Kosovo to implement “in good faith” the European Union’s proposal for the normalization of relations between the two countries, even if not no agreement was signed. Borrell met today in Ohrid, North Macedonia, with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti to draw up a roadmap for the implementation of the EU plan.
Kosovo and Serbia “are fully committed to respecting all the articles of the agreement and implementing them in good faith,” Borrell said after a 12-hour meeting. The European politician was trying to negotiate with his interlocutors how to implement the details of the agreement proposed by the EU on February 27 in Brussels.
The pact provides that Belgrade and Pristina recognize each other’s official documents, so that citizens can travel freely between the two countries, and that Serbia does not prevent Kosovo from joining international organizations. “It’s about understanding how the deal is implemented, the practical steps, who takes them and how. They say the devil is in the details, and sometimes the devil is in the calendar,” said Borrell
The head of European diplomacy admitted that it was not an easy negotiation, noting that “we don’t meet for twelve hours for something simple” and that the EU’s original proposal was “more ambitious”. He announced that Kosovo pledged to “immediately” start negotiations with the EU to cede an “adequate level of autonomous management” to the country’s Serbian community.
But he added that unfortunately there is no signed agreement because Kosovo “lacks flexibility” and Serbia “refused to sign anything as a matter of principle”, despite being willing to implement the agreement. Borrell stressed that the pact to normalize relations is a fundamental step for both countries on their path towards EU integration and that failure to implement it “would have consequences”.
The implementation of this normalization “has significant benefits for both countries” and not only favors them but also “the stability and prosperity of the entire region”, he stressed. Borrell announced he will brief EU foreign ministers at Monday’s meeting in Brussels and EU leaders at Thursday and Friday’s summit in Brussels