Albania hails Kosovo, Serbia agreements

TIRANA, July 4 – The Albanian Foreign Ministry welcomed the conclusion of the first agreements in technical talks between Kosovo and Serbia which are based on the principles of reciprocity between two independent and sovereign states and on the good will to cooperate for the solution of practical issues between them.
Last weekend Serbia and Kosovo struck deals on several practical issues that will make life easier for citizensحarking the first accords between the two countries since Kosovo declared independence in 2008.
The talks have so far been restricted to practical matters, and have not touched on more substantive issues such as mutual recognition. Kosovo rejects any talks that question its independence, while Serbia– which considers Kosovo the cradle of its statehood and religion– refuses to recognize that independence.
The EU initiated the first direct negotiations between the two sides in March and officials hope they can mediate more agreements in the coming months.
The current agreements include free travel, mutual acknowledgment of diplomas and civil registers.
“We express confidence that the implementation of the agreements reached will start as soon as possible,” said a statement from Tirana.
Tirana also hailed the common engagement of the EU and the USA, which made possible the achievement of these useful agreements for the citizens of both countries.
Kosovo has been recognized by 76 nations, including 22 of the EU’s 27 member states. But Serbia has successfully blocked its membership in the United Nations, where many countries share its rejection of unilateral declarations of independence by separatist regions.
Washington and many in the EU insist Kosovo’s statehood is a special case, because it is the result of a brutal Serbian ethnic cleansing campaign against Albanian separatists that led to an international intervention in 1999, when NATO rejected Serb forces.
NATO still maintains about 5,000 troops in Kosovo to provide security more than a decade after that war.