EU-mediated negotiations in North Macedonia continued for 12 hours.
in North Macedonia The marathon negotiations mediated by the EU have ended without Serbia and Kosovo signing an agreement on the normalization of their relations.
According to the EU, progress was made in the negotiations that lasted 12 hours, but the final signatures on the paper were not obtained. Kosovo, which declared itself independent in 2008, is a former province of Serbia whose independence Serbia has not recognized.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs facilitated the negotiations Josep Borrell said the two sides had agreed on a general framework within which the plan could be implemented, but that the exact path to normalizing relations remained unclear.
“The parties were unable to find a mutually acceptable solution that was as ambitious as our proposal,” Borrell said.
The prime minister of Kosovo was also present at the high-level negotiations Albin Kurti that the president of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic. Kurti said at the end of the negotiations that he was ready to sign the papers on his own behalf and accused Vucic of chasing the matter.
In practice, Serbia would have to treat Kosovo as independent
The EU’s 11-point proposal to normalize relations with Kosovo has faced strong resistance among Serbian nationalists. Ahead of Saturday’s talks, thousands of protesters gathered in the center of Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Friday, led by ultra-nationalists.
The EU has considered the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo an important step on the path of both countries towards EU membership.
In clause 11 of the agreement, the parties undertake, among other things, that they will not use violence to resolve their mutual disputes and will not seek to prevent each other from joining the EU or other international organizations. Kosovo’s goal has been above all to join the UN.
As a result of the agreement, Serbia would have to treat Kosovo as an independent state on a practical level, although official recognition was not part of the agreement. Among other things, Serbia and Kosovo would have committed to recognize each other’s travel documents, license plates and customs stamps.
#Balkan #agreement #normalizing #relations #Serbia #Kosovo #signed
