The United States Ambassador to Serbia, Christopher Hill, said on Thursday that the Ohrid Agreement “does not imply recognition, but normalization of relations” between Kosovo and Serbia.
The Ohrid Agreement, reached last year, stipulates that Serbia recognizes Kosovo’s state symbols, does not oppose Kosovo’s membership in international organizations, and that both parties mutually respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Hill told the Bujanovačke portal that Serbia has fulfilled “a good part” of that agreement and that the most important thing remaining is finding a way for Kosovo to join international organizations.
He emphasized that “the understanding of the Ohrid Agreement is the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia”.
“That people passing through border points don’t think about politics, but about improving their quality of life,” he added.
The U.S. Ambassador also emphasized that Serbia has the right to an Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority in Kosovo.
“In Kosovo, they see the Association as a kind of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the Association has no resemblance to Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Hill said.
He also appreciated that “Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo primarily care about education and healthcare”, and that “through the Association, they have the right to this”.
The agreement for the normalization of relations, among other things, obliges Kosovo to establish the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, which would enable Serbs in Kosovo a certain level of self-management.
The agreement for the normalization of relations was accepted by Kosovo and Serbia at the end of last February, while the annex for the implementation of this agreement was agreed upon in mid-March in Ohrid.
Serbia refused to sign the agreement and drew a red line, indicating that it will not accept Kosovo’s independence or its membership in the United Nations.
However, the EU stated that this agreement is legally binding for both parties.
