Lajcak optimistic about the role of the Biden administration in Kosovo- Serbia

The European Union's special envoy for talks between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, hopes that with President-elect Joe Biden, there will be better co-operation between Brussels and Washington regarding the Balkans.

“With the election of a new president and administration, we expect to return to a very good position of close possible co-operation with our US partners to the benefit of countries and peoples of the region”, Miroslav Lajcak said in a virtual discussion organised by the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Lajcak said any agreement that can be reached between the parties should be based on European principles and values because besides normalising relations, the equally important goal is to draw Kosovo and Serbia closer to the European Union”.

However, he makes clear that he disagrees with philosophy that whatever the parties agree on, “we must accept because we (BE) are also the defender of European values”, Euronews Albania states.

“We need to make sure that the final outcome will draw them closer to the European Union, rather than move further away from membership in the European Union and that the final product, the final agreement will be acceptable to EU member states and also to the countries of the region”, he said.

One option that would not meet these parameters was the idea of exchanging territories.

“We are here to be part of a European solution, a solution for the 21st century and not a solution based on the 19th century”, he concluded.