Southern Balkan leaders call for Serbia-Kosovo dialogue

OHRID, Macedonia, July 12 – The presidents of three Balkan countries are urging Serbia and Kosovo to start top-level talks on normalizing their relations. Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic said the presidents of Serbia and Kosovo must engage in dialogue “as soon as possible” under the auspices of the European Union. A regional meeting was held in the southern Macedonian lake resort of Ohrid on Tuesday. The leaders of Albania and Macedonia backed Vujanovic’ proposal, while Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga was non-committal. Earlier this month, talks between Kosovo and Serbia produced a deal on practical issues such as freedom of movement, civil registries and diplomas. But they have not touched upon the sensitive issue of Kosovo’s status. Serbia has rejected Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence. “Concrete talks between Serbia and Kosovo will contribute to extending regional cooperation and bring more peace and tolerance,” Albanian President Bamir Topi said. President of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic said that his country, which is going to host the next regional summit meeting, would invite Serbia to attend the event. But Serbia might refuse to accept the invitation to protest Kosovo’s attendance.
“We expect Belgrade and Pristina to demonstrate readiness for engaging in dialogues at the highest level, and dialogue is the only tool to settle open issues,” Vujanovic said. “An open dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is in the interest of the good quality of relations in the region,” said Vujanovic. Five months of EU-brokered dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina — the first since Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 — produced its first results last week, with accords on local issues such travel rights and civil registries. Serbia has however remained firm in its refusal to recognize Kosovo as a state, considering it as its southern province. 76 countries, including the United States and 22 of the 27 EU member states, as well as Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania, have recognized it as independent. The summit in Ohrid, the third of its kind, was held without Tadic as Belgrade officials have been boycotting any foreign meeting in which Kosovo is invited as an independent state. The presidents also urged joint efforts for integration into the European Union.
“Bolstering economic cooperation, enhancing free flow of people and capital, launching joint projects and promoting regional investments are the tools for accelerating the integration process,” the statement said.
Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov said that integration into the EU and NATO will contribute to the stability, security and prosperity in the western Balkan region.
“We share same challenges that may be surpassed by joint efforts, and our future is uniting us,” Ivanov said.
Macedonia has been granted an EU membership candidacy and is waiting to start accession talks with the EU. However Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo lagged behind in the process.
The four leaders, whose countries are all hoping to join the European Union, called for regional cooperation to be stepped up, notably in the areas of infrastructure, economy, energy and environmental issues, as well as in the fight against organized crime. Ivanov said the Balkan region has changed since the 1990s — a decade marred by bloody wars that followed the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. “We are facing positive trends and positive processes that are changing the perceptions created before,” Ivanov said. The future of Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo is in their integration with the European Union and NATO – a strategic goal that unites the four countries. Topi also notified the new Balkan reality, saying that it should be viewed as a region of countries connected by a common objective – the EU, NATO membership.
Bolstering the economic cooperation, free flow of people and capital, promoting the entrepreneurship, regional investments, linking the chambers of commerce and launching joint projects for attracting investments are the tools for accelerating the integration processes, reads a joint message of the Presidents.
Meetings, such as this in Ohrid, offer opportunity for nourishing, advancing the dialogue among the countries at the highest level and play significant role in the realization of their common goals– above all the region’s swift accession to the EU and NATO, Macedonia’s President said.
The next regional meeting is to be held in Podgorica, Montenegro.