TIRANA, Feb. 14 – On Friday, an agreement was signed between Kosovo and Serbia on the railway line and the highway connecting the two countries. The meeting took place in Munich, after technical teams from Kosovo and Serbia held a meeting in Berlin last month to reopen the railway line between them, mediated by Ambassador Grenell, just days after the parties signed an agreement to reopen the Pristina-Belgrade airline.
The meeting was mediated by US special envoy for Kosovo-Serbia talks, Richard Grenell, who said that with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and Serbia’s Alexander Vucic, there is an agreement that focus should be on economic development.
“Today’s agreement on railways and highways is the best message that the region will have peace, economic development, progress, more jobs, things which our people in Kosovo and the Western Balkans need,” said President Thaà§i, emphasizing that “Kosovo believes in the leadership of President Trump and the administration that throughout this period and this year are working on the final Kosovo-Serbia agreement. This is the path we must take in the future and not be held hostage to the bitter past between our countries and peoples. “
In this line, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said “this is important for the freedom of movement of people, goods, capital and services. I am pleased to see progress and thank Trump and Grenell on behalf of Serbia, because we all feel that through this, we will have a better future and that this will ensure peace for decades to come. “
On the other hand, the newly-elected Prime Minister Albin Kurti claimed that he did not authorize the decision. “Two agreements have been signed today in Munich by officials authorized by former Minister Pal Lekaj. The whole negotiation process was done before our government took power. Therefore, these officials have received no authorization from the new government to negotiate or sign agreements,” he wrote in a public Facebook post. Talks were suspended since November 2018, when the Kosovo government imposed 100 percent tax on Serbian goods in opposition to Belgrade’s approach to Kosovo’s statehood. Belgrade conditioned the continuation of talks with Kosovo by lifting the tax. The United States wants the tax lifted, a request that was reiterated on Thursday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a letter sent to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
