3 minutes agoEscobar is still awaiting positive answers from Kurti for the license deadline, says the doc. Franco-German is published soon
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Kosovo and Serbia are in a new phase of dialogue, while international pressure has increased on both countries to avoid tensions between them. At the center of the spotlight is a plan proposed by France and Germany that enjoys the support of the United States, but few details are known. In an interview [...]
The top American official again calls on authorities in Pristina to accept the request to postpone the implementation of the order for license plates of Serb residents in northern Kosovo by 10 months.
Voice of America: During the recent visit to Pristina, you were asked by authorities to postpone the decision to deploy Kosovo plates to Serb residents in the north for 10 months. Have you received any satisfying answers from the authorities?
Gabriel Escobar: No, not yet.
Voice of America: Do you expect to receive answers?
Gabriel Escobar: I would hope that they would respond positively to the request not only of the United States but also of the rest of Quinn, the European Union and special representative Miroslav Lajcak.
Voice of America: The Franco-German Initiative appears to be the main proposal for Kosovo relations these days- Serbia and as you stressed during the visit to Pristina, both sides should take it seriously. How can such an important proposal be kept so secret. How can the public obey when he has no information about what is being discussed? Can you share with us the main points of this initiative?
Gabriel Escobar: This is a European Union initiative. We support him. We support every movement in the EU-launched dialogue, as it is important for regional stability. It is important for European stability at a time when we are facing crises like the one in Ukraine and other parts of Europe. As far as details are concerned, I mean that they are being discussed within the context of the EU dialogue, which, although supported, we are not parties to it. I believe that very soon after they had intense discussions with both governments, we will begin to engage the public to understand the essence of the proposal.
Voice of America: You have said that what is now being proposed is not a final solution, which means it will not deal with recognising Kosovo from Serbia. But equally important for Kosovo is recognition by the five European Union countries. Is the current proposal related to the recognition of Kosovo by the five EU nations?
Gabriel Escobar: Absolutely, our position is that Kosovo should be part of the European Union and should be integrated into Euro-Atlantic structures. For that to happen, we expect the five EU nations, who have not recognised Kosovo's independence. Europe has determined the way to recognition. They have defined the path of European integration, and this road is a relaxed dialogue by the EU. Therefore, I constantly encourage the Kosovo government to take the dialogue seriously, to engage honestly and think about solutions that may include compromise, but ultimately recognition of independence and integration are the key.
Voice of America: What role is the American government expected to play? Are we expecting a bigger role?
Gabriel Escobar: I mean we're playing a bigger role. I have full partnership with my EU counterpart. We are fully engaged through Quintus, we believe that since this is a European issue and both countries' aspirations are integration into Europe, the process must be led by the EU. But we are fully supporting it, politically, financially, through capacity building and through every other mechanism we have, so that the final outcome, even if there is a temporary intermediate outcome, that is, the final outcome, will create long-term stability for the region.
