The EU’s spokesperson for foreign policy and security, Peter Stano, announced on Tuesday that the EU’s special representative for the dialogue, Miroslav Lajčák, will be accompanied by senior advisers from Germany, France, Italy, and the United States on a visit to Kosovo and Serbia scheduled for Saturday, October 21.

Their purpose is to hold discussions with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, in an effort to make tangible progress in implementing the Agreement on the path to normalization and de-escalation following recent developments.

In addition to Lajčák, the delegation will consist of Emanuel Bonne, the security and foreign policy adviser to the President of France, the adviser to the German Chancellor, Jens Plotner, and the adviser to the Prime Minister of Italy, Francesco Talo. They will also be joined by the U.S. special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.

Peter Stano emphasized the unwavering support of the EU and its member states, as well as the United States, for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and the European integration of the entire region. He expressed clear expectations for both parties to continue the normalization process and fulfill their obligations promptly and unconditionally.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, last met for high-level talks within the framework of the dialogue on September 14. Unfortunately, they were unable to reach an agreement on the sequencing of the implementation of agreements. The EU delegated this responsibility to the Kosovo side, as it stated that both parties had failed to fulfill their obligations as per the agreement reached in the dialogue.

In the meantime, the EU has upheld punitive measures against Kosovo and is considering imposing similar measures against Serbia if its involvement in the recent attacks in Banjska, north Kosovo, on September 24 is proven.

In the confrontations between an armed group and the Kosovo Police, three attackers lost their lives. Kosovo accused Serbia of attempting to “annex the entire north of Kosovo” during the Banjska incident, an accusation that Serbia has denied.