6 minutes agoPalmer: Government coming to remove tax and continue dialogue
Periskopi(7 years ago)
(7 years ago)Matthew Palmer, Deputy Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, has said that Kosovo has a primary duty to elect the new government, which will do everything possible to continue dialogue and remove the tax on Serbian and Bosnian goods. In an interview for the Voice of America [...]
In an interview for the Voice of America (the Serbian language edition), Palmer has said he hopes Pristina and Belgrade will find their way to the negotiating table, where they will then find the mutually acceptable solution.
“Hopefully Belgrade and Pristina can again find their way towards the negotiating table and then find perhaps the mutually acceptable solution which results in full normalisation of relations and paves the way for the European future of both countries. I think the most important thing now is for Kosovo to have the new government. This is the actual challenge. We would like Kosovo to form the new government as soon as possible and for that government to do everything to continue the dialogue, including the removal of the tax on Serbian and Bosnia and Herzegovina goods. We hope this can be resolved immediately”, Palmer said.
Speaking of the idea of exchanging territories as a solution between Kosovo and Serbia, Palmer said that the focus of the US is for both sides to return to dialogue and then we can talk about what might be dialogueed between them.
This should define the two sides. Nobody's gonna be forced to do something they can't. But we would like negotiations to be held with confidence and to move towards an agreement that leads to mutual recognition of Serbia and Kosovo and paves the way to Europe.
The US will not dictate the terms of negotiations”, Palmer stressed.
Asked whether the idea exists for the agreement to be reached on the basis of exchange of territories, the senior US official said negotiators have talked about parameters of a possible deal, but said he doesn't know its core, “whether it is territory or any other component”.
The agreement that is reached should be inclusive, should have the political, security, economic, trade and cultural component -- the share related to protecting KOS's assets (Serbian Orthodox Church) in Kosovo. So, I think focusing only on maps and territory is away from what should bring comprehensive normalisation. What is normalisation can only be determined by the participants in the negotiations and that for this they must return to the table”, Matthew said. Palmer, Deputy Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.
