The EU reproves Kosovo after the embassy's deployment to Yerolem: We're seriously worried.

This comment from the European bloc comes a day after Kosovo announced that it has officially opened its embassy in Israel, with locations in Jerusalem.

An EU spokesman said on Monday, March 15th, that “The EU laments Kosovo's decision to step down from the EU's stance on the Jerusalem issue”.

The EU's “position is well known and is in line with UN Security Council Resolution 478, 1980, calling on all UN member states to withdraw their diplomatic missions to Israel from Jerusalem. All EU states, as well as the EU delegation to Israel, are located at Tel Aviv”, this spokesman has said.

He added that “The EU has consistently reiterated the clear commitment to a negotiated solution -- the two states -- built on internationally accepted parameters and international law”.

The EU recalls that the heads of state or government of the bloc, at their summit in 2017, had reiterated that the EU's “location around Jerusalem remains unchanged”.

The EU's long-term location is clear. The way to resolve Jerusalem's status through negotiations, such as a future capital of both states, must be found and the aspirations of both sides are fulfilled. The issue of Jerusalem is a matter of final status. In this context, any diplomatic steps that question the EU's common position are issues of serious concern and regret”, the EU spokesman said.

But in the question of opening a Czech Embassy office, EU member state in Jerusalem, the European bloc has not given any clear answers.

“As far as the Czech Republic is concerned, the opening of what has been described as the Office in Israel's Jerusalem of the Embassy, we recall the UN Security Council Resolution”, the EU said, repeating the position that “all EU member states and the EU delegation in Israel are located at Telv<3>.

The opening of the Kosovo Embassy in Jerusalem dates from the September 4th, 2020 agreement in Washington for economic normalisation. In this agreement, which was mediated by then president of the United States Donald Trump, recognition of Kosovo by Israel was included and told that the Kosovo Embassy would be deployed in Jerusalem. The EU had since criticised the deployment of the Kosovo Embassy in Jerusalem, calling it a departure from EU positions, as according to the bloc, this is contrary to Pristina's official aspirations for EU integration.

Serbia had also taken an obligation to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but so far this has not happened.

As for Serbia, in the EU recall they had criticised even this obligation Belgrade received for moving the Embassy, but added they would expect how Belgrade will act and then the bloc would come up with a stance.

The EU, under the Stabilisation and Enlargement Process, expects candidate states or those aspiring membership to adapt to the common policy and attitudes of official Brussels. So far, Albania is the only state that 100 per cent has fulfilled these expectations against the EU, while at least Serbia has done so, especially when measures against Russia have been imposed or human rights violations on the part of several other states of the world have been criticised.