The European Union and the United States are on the same page regarding the Western Balkans, said the EU’s envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajčák.
In Davos, Switzerland, Lajčák met with the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, James O’Brien.
According to the EU envoy, they discussed the Western Balkans region.
“Kicked off my week in Davos with Jim O’Brien. Important to have this conversation about the Balkans right at the beginning of the year. We want to see the region moving forward for the benefit of their citizens. Good to reconfirm that we are fully on the same page,” Lajčák wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Kicked off my week in Davos 🇨🇭with @StateEUR Jim O’Brien. Important to have this conversation about the Balkans right at the beginning of the year. We want to see the region moving forward for the benefit of their citizens. Good to reconfirm that we are fully on the same page. pic.twitter.com/9Rz9vFL4WT
— Miroslav Lajčák (@MiroslavLajcak) January 16, 2024
Leaders from the Western Balkans region, including Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, are also participating in the World Economic Forum in Davos.
A day earlier, in Davos, Lajčák met with Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, with whom he discussed topics related to the dialogue, emphasizing the need for the immediate implementation of the Agreement on the path to the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
The Basic Agreement was reached last February in Brussels, while in March in Ohrid, the parties agreed on the Implementation Annex of this agreement. However, the EU has stated that the Agreement on the path to normalization has not started to be implemented.
The normalization agreement, consisting of 11 articles, includes provisions for self-governance for the Serbian community in Kosovo and mutual recognition of state symbols. It also calls for Pristina and Belgrade to implement all previous agreements reached during the dialogue.
The U.S., supporting the EU-mediated dialogue, along with the European bloc, consistently urge Kosovo to establish the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, agreed upon in the dialogue since 2013.
The Kosovo Government has declared its opposition to a mono-ethnic association.
In October 2023, representatives of the EU, the U.S., Germany, France, and Italy presented a draft statute for the formation of the Association to Kosovo and Serbia, which Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić agreed to in principle.
The U.S., on the other hand, has consistently stated that the process of normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia should conclude with mutual recognition. Serbia has stated that it will not accept Kosovo’s independence.
