German-French-sponsored deal between Serbia and Kosovo on UN membership ‘a matter of weeks’ – U.S. envoy says
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- Kurti had earlier referred to the Franco-German initiative as "nothing final or decisive..."
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TIRANA, Oct. 20, 2022 - A Serbia-Kosovo deal proposed by Germany and France that would mean UN membership for Kosovo with Belgrade’s acquiescence is likely to be reached in ‘a matter of weeks’ and has the full backing of the United States, according to Gabriel Escobar, the U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans.
Escobar was citing conversations with his European counterpart in laying out a timeline, speaking in an interview with Kosovo’s Kanal 10 TV channel.
"We will support this. We think, as it was explained to us, this proposal would mean closer commitment and integration of Kosovo, and potentially Serbia, in the Euro-Atlantic community,” Escobar said. “Yes, we fully support it. And, I must add that we have always supported the recognition of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state and we would welcome it in the UN and in all other European structures."
Escobar said he has heard from his European colleagues that reaching an agreement is a matter of weeks, not years.
"Considering the context of what is happening, everyone must take responsibility to create stability, not only in Europe, but also in the region,” he added.
The American envoy was in Prishtina on Wednesday, where he met with President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, the leaders of the opposition political parties and the Serbian List.
Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti had earlier referred to the Franco-German initiative as "nothing final or decisive..." - according to reporting by VoA Albanian Service.
On Thursday, Escobar will be in Belgrade where he will meet with the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, who a few days ago said that France and Germany have presented a document with which they request that Serbia allow Kosovo's membership in the United Nations, but without having to recognize its independence.
The European Union's envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia talks, Miroslav Lajcak, said last week that Kosovo and Serbia should not waste the opportunity to reach an agreement to normalize relations between them before the elections in the United States and the European Union in 2024.
This summer's tensions between Kosovo and Serbia over the use of identification documents and car license plates prompted a heightened diplomatic response to avoid clashes at a time of sensitive political developments in Europe over Russian aggression in Ukraine.
On Aug. 27, Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement on the free movement of citizens, while on Oct. 31 the deadline for converting car license plates for Serbian citizens who use license plates issued by Serbia ends. With the decision of the government, the users of these license plates must return them to those of the Republic of Kosovo (RKS), but this is opposed by Belgrade.
Escobar told Channel 10 that together with European diplomats, he has asked the institutions of Kosovo to postpone the deadline for the conversion of car license plates for ten months and they are already waiting for a response.
Kosovo declared its independence in February 2008 with the support of the United States and most EU countries, but that independence is not recognized by Serbia, backed by Russia, which has made UN membership impossible to get, even though the majority of UN members recognize Kosovo as an independent states and a top international court ruled its independence as valid.
