The spokesperson of the European Union, Peter Stano, said that Kosovo and Serbia cannot progress on the path to membership in the European Union, if they do not make progress in the implementation of last year’s Agreement for the normalization of relations, as well as all other agreements, reached within the dialogue.

“The EU regrets the limited progress in the implementation of the Agreement, which can be attributed to both parties,” Stano said in a statement to Radio Free Europe.

With the mediation of the EU, Kosovo and Serbia reached the Agreement for the normalization of relations on February 27, 2023.

The agreement foresees, among other things, the mutual respect of independence and territorial integrity, the recognition of documents, diplomas, license plates, as well as the deepening of cooperation in the field of economy, rule of law, health and missing persons.

Serbia also undertook not to block Kosovo’s membership in international organizations, while Kosovo agreed to provide the Serbian community with a certain level of self-management, namely the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities.

But, a year later, of all the points of the agreement, only those related to missing persons and license plate recognition were implemented.

With the signing of the Declaration on Persons Disappeared during the War in Kosovo, the parties undertook to allow access to all the documents they possess, including the “confidential” ones.

The two parties also recognized the license plates of each other’s cars. From January of this year, citizens of Kosovo no longer cover the state symbols with white stickers while driving vehicles in the territory of Serbia, and vice versa.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, accused Serbia of refusing to implement the Agreement and said that it does not want to sign it.

The EU insists that the agreement, even though it has not been signed, is legally binding and that the obligations arising from it are an integral part of the European path for Kosovo and Serbia.

With the mediation of the EU, Kosovo and Serbia are in negotiations for the normalization of relations since 2011.