4 hours agoAmerica encourages Kosovo, Serbia to build political confidence
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)The US State Department encouraged Kosovo and Serbia to continue with the moratorium on issues of recognition that complicate progress in technical areas, a spokesman for the Voice of America said, answering questions about the first anniversary of Washington's agreement, Radio Free Europe reports. Two versions of the sixteen [...] document
Two versions of the sixteen-point document -- for the Kosovo and Serbian parties -- were signed a year ago at the White House Oval Office, in the presence of former US President Donald Trump, by former Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and current Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
A State Department spokesman said in response to the Voice of America that the United States will continue to co-operate with Kosovo and Serbia in meeting their obligations, supporting, as he said, the goal of the comprehensive normalisation of their relations.
“Hopefully our partners will respect the obligations they accepted last year in Washington in trust. Numerous elements of the agreement support the priorities of our broader vision of the region ʹ diversification of energy, regional connection, application of a mortorium for membership in international organisations and campaigning to attract recognition of Kosovo's independence, as well as the finding and identifying of missing persons “, told the Voice of America of State.
It also stressed that the need for full normalisation is not limited in time, so Kosovo and Serbia are encouraged to build political confidence.
“ [This should be done] through serious and essential participation in the EU-mediated dialogue process. We also encourage Kosovo and Serbia to mark co-operation in areas of common interest, as is the recovery from the pandemic and improvement of economic and trade relations”, says in response to which US support is highlighted.
The “The United States is ready to support work on reaching a comprehensive, binding agreement on normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia, focused on mutual recognition, which lays the foundation for sustainable co-operation and progress. We support the EU-mediated dialogue and encourage the parties to re-enter the process -- given the urgency of resolving technical and political issues,” is said further in response.
The agreement officially mediated by Trump was essentially possible by Richard Green, his former envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. The approach of the former American administration, according to its officials at the time, to resolving the Kosovo- Serbia was focused exclusively on economic co-operation between the two sides, which, as expected, should ultimately contribute to political approach and ultimately a comprehensive agreement on normalisation.
