Borrell expects quick deal between Kosovo, Serbia

Those comments he made Monday during a joint conference in Brussels with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq.

Borrell expressed conviction that dialogue will continue in May, with a meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Vuciq.

“We are doing our best to continue the dialogue and I hope that on May 11th a meeting”, Borrell said.

“Vlerating the commitment of President Vuciq for dialogue with Pristina to reach a comprehensive, legally binding agreement. I look forward to reaching the deal as quickly as possible, no matter what difficulties”, Borrell said.

In Brussels, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will remain this week, along with Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi and Diaspora Foreign Affairs Minister Donika Grovalla.

He added that for Serbia's journey towards the EU, there are three key conditions: normalisation of reports with Kosovo, rule of law and for Serbia to adjust to its foreign policy position.

Serbia's president, Vuciq, said Serbia is ready for a constructive dialogue and added that “will work to improve the atmosphere and build the environment for reaching agreement”.

“We can't just keep working and meeting, but we need to achieve a substantial score”, Vuciq stressed.

Meanwhile, in terms of adapting to EU foreign policy positions, Vuciq said “Serbia is in a difficult position because of Kosovo” and that “in the future will make efforts to increase adaptation to EU positions”.

The EU has raised this issue, because Serbia -- the country aimed at membership in the European bloc -- supports Russia and China in foreign policy rather than the EU.

If you want to become a member of the EU, you must share the values of the EU”, Borrell has indicated.

“The EU is fully devoted to the European perspective of the entire Western Balkan region, and Serbia is at the heart of these efforts. The EU expects Serbia to produce results in reforms, especially in rule of law and media freedom”, the chief of European diplomacy added.

The EU negotiating framework for Serbia is also included the condition for comprehensive normalisation of reports with Kosovo, including through a legally binding document. Therefore, the EU has once again reiterated that the process of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is a condition for both sides to advance in their respective European journey.

The Serbian president earlier in the day has also had meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Neighborship and Enlargement Oliver Varhely. These meetings also discussed the continuation of Serbia's negotiation process with the EU, and the possibility that new methodology approved by the EU will be used in this process.

Under the rules, the new EU methodology can be applied only to states, which in the future open negotiations. In the case of Montenegro and Serbia, this methodology can only be used if these two countries, with candidate status, accept that.

According to this methodology, negotiating chapters can be re-opened during the process even if they are provisionally closed and they are divided into several blocs. The EU has reasoned on these changes in methodology, since it said that “wants the process to be known. Therefore, they expect Montenegro and Serbia, which are now in the process of membership negotiations, to join this methodology”.

Serbia's president, Vuciq and EU diplomacy chief Borrell have also been asked about their positions regarding a document allegedly submitted by Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Jansha, where ideas are supposed to have been presented for changing borders in the Balkans.

Both denied that they had seen some such document. Borrell has said the EU “cretively and unconditionally supports Bosnia and Herzegovina's territorial integrity, as well as that of other countries in the region”.

Vuciq, meanwhile, said Serbia supports Bosnia and Herzegovina's “territorial integrity, as well as the territorial integrity of Republika Srpska within Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the Dayton Agreement”.

But, he said the “is open to discuss any idea”.

The Serbian president also said he expects Kosovo to implement its pledges on the part of Kosovo, as well as the Washington Agreement and Brussels in 2013.

“For the Washington Agreement, we must implement everything we have agreed on in the 2013 Brussels Agreement. We hope that the other side will implement pledges on this issue, such as the mini-Shengen and non-request for membership in several international organisations. We, so far, have not broken the promise, but the most important is dialogue under the EU umbrella”, Vuciq stressed.

He said Serbia received EU support for Belgrade track project -Nish-Presevo-Skopje. Vuciq said he expects the EU to finance at least 35 per cent of this project, amounting to about 600m euros.