TIRANA, June 16 – The European Union’s Special Representative for the Kosovo-Serbia talks and other issues in the Western Balkans, Miroslav Lajčák, said that he aims to successfully complete the process of normalizing relations between the two countries.
Lajčák arrived in Pristina on Tuesday to meet with Kosovo’s political leaders, marking his first visit since taking up his duties as EU Special envoy.
“My mandate is very clear, to help reach a comprehensive, legally binding agreement between Kosovo and Serbia that will normalize relations, that will solve all the unresolved problems, that will be acceptable to the countries of the region and the countries of the European Union. This means that I expect to bring this process that started in 2011 to a successful conclusion,” he said after the meeting.
On his side, Kosovo’s president Hashim Thaci stressed on the importance of Kosovo citizens being granted visa liberalization, stating that “the dialogue process makes sense only if concluded with mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia.”
His visit comes a day after President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia talks, Richard Grenell, confirmed a meeting between the two sides at the White House on June 27. “What I do know is that the European Union has always worked very closely with the United States, and everything that has been achieved in the talks has been the result of a very close cooperation between the United States and the United States. This is our ambition to continue in the same way and we hope for close cooperation with the United States, ” Lajčák said.
After meeting with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Parliament Speaker Vjosa Osmani Lajčák said that “Kosovo’s path to the EU goes through the normalization of relations with Serbia and this is clearly stated in the 2010 resolution of the UN General Assembly, which is the foundation of these talks. I want Kosovo to progress on the European path, and this cannot be done by anyone other than the European Union.”
Last year, the United States appointed Mathew Palmer as Special Representative for the Western Balkans and later, Ambassador Richard Grenell as Special Representative for the Kosovo-Serbia peace talks.
Earlier this year, Grenell secured an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia on airline, rail and freight cooperation, at a time when the second year of suspension of EU-mediated talks due to Kosovo’s tariffs on Serbian goods had begun.
Since then the European Union has stepped in to make sure it plays its part in the process, which in turn led to the EU Special Representative’s official appointment in April.
