Escobar: America doesn't impose models for Association, do it yourself.

The United States representative for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, has said it is not their intention to impose models for establishing the Association of Serb municipalities that undermine Kosovo's sovereignty and functionality.

At the end of his stay in Kosovo, Escobar reaffirmed support for Kosovo's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The “What I said when I said there are many options for creating association has been to say that it is not meant to be the models that undermine Kosovo's sovereignty, or the functionality. One of these modalities must be found, they can manage and bring about reconciliation. This is the goal of dialogue, it is not the US's intention to impose a model or select a model on behalf of both sides. But, we can help, if there are models that they can gladly analyse we can make it”, he said at a joint media conference with the EU's minister for dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak.

However, Escobar said the solution for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia should be left for dialogue.

This administration, along with previous US administrations, strongly supports Kosovo's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Beyond that, how the two countries -- Serbia and Kosovo -- reach a period of normalisation should be left to dialogue... At the end of this process, we hope the result will be a solution that will be good both for Serbia and Kosovo. I am confident that the way our European partners are looking, along with the American support for this process, we will get there”, he added.

Asked about Washington's agreement signed in September 2020, Escobar said the same have helped build confidence between the parties.

As far as Washington pledges are concerned, we have believed then and still believe those pledges have helped to create a belief between the parties. We believe that the continued application of these pledges is a way to create a diplomatic space for continued dialogue. We see those pledges as confidence-building measures in support of the EU-led dialogue”, he stressed.

After the end of the visit to Kosovo, Escobar and Lajcak will stay in Serbia.