EU: We do not comment Vucinic's statements, nor will we drag out dialogue without need

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vuciq has continued his rhetoric contrary to the spirit of Brussels dialogue.

He on Serbian television said that as long as he is president of Serbia will not recognise Kosovo's independence, a mandate he will exercise until April 2022.

A European Union spokesperson for Express said they do not comment on the statements of the parties involved in the dialogue.

This EU spokesman also said that the European Union would not artificially speed up dialogue, but would neither drag it forward unnecessarily, signaling that talks between Kosovo and Serbia should enter the final phase.

“As a general rule, the EU does not comment on the comments. The pace of dialogue is determined by both sides. As mediator, the EU will give dialogue the time it needs without artificially accelerating it, but simultaneously without procrastinating it unnecessarily”, the EU spokesman said.

Regarding statements by the Serbian president has reacted to Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, who also resumed dialogue with the neighbouring state.

Hoti once again brought the same message to Vuciqi that there will be no agreement with Serbia without mutual recognition, adding that such statements do not contribute to dialogue.

“There is no agreement with Serbia without mutual recognition. Kosovo remains committed to all open issues with Serbia being closed through dialogue, which is under way in Brussels, with EU mediation. Statements that our northern neighbour will not recognise Kosovo's independence do not contribute to dialogue. Dialogue has resumed on clear principles for final agreements on normalisation of relations and mutual recognition, and there will be no partial agreement. If there will be no mutual recognition, then there won't be an accord either, the Kosovo government chief said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Hoti's deputy executive, Besnik Tahiri, said Kosovo should not be caught in Alexander Vuciqi's trap by reacting sharply.

According to Tahiri, Serbia's president is prompting Kosovo to later look black sheep before the EU and that good man.

His jealousy faced dialogue and partnership with the European Union is seen even with this statement as seen as his authoritarian position associated with his name. Vuciki with these statements wants to weaken Kosovo's position in front of the EU, so to provoke political reactions where Kosovo black sheep and he turns out to be a good pro-European leader. We should not react, Kosovo is independent he let speak all day”, the deputy prime minister said.

Dialogue with Serbia, which was suspended because of the tax imposed by Ramush Haradinaj's government, has resumed in July of this year since 20 months after Prime Minister Hoti interrupted.

Hoti and Vuciq have held the last political summit in September.

Kosovo and Serbia's top negotiators at the expert level have had more frequent meetings, already the last one was on December 10th, where the parties have not noted any progress on the issue of the undiscovered and financial claims.

The hottest topic of the talks has been the Association of Serb majority municipalities, which the Kosovo side has refused to put on the table despite the Serbian side's insistence.

EU mediator for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has not discussed the topic of Association at meetings he had with the chief negotiators, while warning future discussions to resume in 2021 without specifying which month.