Palmer: Agreement to be acceptable to Kosovo, Serbia citizens

The United States will not impose solutions for Belgrade and Pristina, and the agreement on normalisation of relations must be acceptable to the leadership and citizens of Kosovo and Serbia, Matthew has said. Palmer, the US Special Emissary for the Western Balkans.

“is totally normal,” said Palmer in an interview for N1 television.

Asked whether there is a deadline for reaching an agreement, he said that “does not believe there is a”, but that the United States considers it “an urgent matter”.

Time is not on our side. The longer we wait, the harder it will be and all challenges will be more complicated, the “he added.

Palmer said the United States supports the process led by the European Union and its envoy Miroslav Lajcak, and that he hopes the two sides will continue negotiations soon.

The US envoy for the Western Balkans also commented on Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti's statement that dialogue is not among his priorities.

I have heard the priorities that Kurti pointed to transparency, good governance, fighting corruption, regulating the situation in Kosovo these are our priorities, we want all of this to happen in Kosovo,” he said.

He added that Kosovo would have to deal with foreign policy and co-operate with its neighbours.

Kosovo can participate in this dialogue in a constructive way by dealing with internal reforms. I don't see any contradictions between these priorities,” said Palmer.

He estimated that dialogue “does not start from pre-”, that many aspects of the Brussels agreement have been implemented and that people's lives have changed for the better and cited justice, freedom of movement, energy and search for missing persons as examples.