McAllister: Transaction of Territorials Is Not a Matter of Discussion

He does not expect much from today's meeting in Brussels between Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, but says this could be the beginning of normalisation of relations. It has ruled out the possibility that the exchange of territories will be a topic of discussion.

Kosovo's “Pala has flatly ruled out the subject of an exchange of territories and this is not on the agenda and so currently it is not a question for discussion”, McAllister said in an interview for DW.

Earlier, European Union for Foreign Relations and Security Policy High Representative Joseph Borrell had said the EU would accept any agreement the parties agree to, including the exchange of territories.

Now this, according to McAlister, will not be held for discussion in Brussels.

German diplomat hopes the dialogue that is continuing after 20 months will be constructive. Today at 4:00 p.m., the meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, mediated by the EU, is expected to begin. This will also mark the resumption of the relationship normalisation dialogue, interrupted in November 2018.

The “First of all is a very positive signal that Serbian President Vuciq and Kosovo Prime Minister Hoti have agreed to resume talks after a 20-month break, dialogue must continue and that is positive news in itself at this time. We hope that the talks will be constructive and with a mutual commitment to a sustainable dialogue process between the two sides. This could only be the beginning of normalisation of relations at the highest level. The positions are still far away and now require political will and commitment from both sides”, McAllister has said.

He says the EU mediates dialogue and that eventually there will be parties that need to be agreed on.

The “is in our strategic interest for the talks to be supported by the EU and associated with a clear perspective for EU membership. The unresolved situation between Serbia and Kosovo remains a potentially destabilising factor for the entire Western Balkans, and for that reason is of political importance, and especially in terms of security policy for all of Europe”, he has said.

He also talked about the role of the United States in dialogue. German diplomat welcomes US engagement.

I am always in favour of the EU and the US working together as much as possible on foreign policy issues. Despite differing political views on some of President Trump's attitudes, the United States remains our ally and most important partner in many international organisations, not only because of our military alliance, NATO. US activities as mediator between Serbia and Kosovo were not co-ordinated with the EU, Miroslav Lajcak, and others have made it clear that our door remains open for a European-American co-operation, that we want to seek solutions together if there are compatible interests, but dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo has led the EU and the EU will continue to do so”, McAllister stated.