8 minutes agoEscobar reports before the senators: Kosovo, Serbia equal parties, dialogue ends with recognition
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)The United States' special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, has reiterated the US stance that Kosovo-Serbia dialogue should end with mutual recognition. In a statement before American senators on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Escobar said the two states should work, as equal parties, that [...]
“Need for dialogue, compromise and reform applies to the entire region. We strongly support the dialogue facilitated by the European Union to normalise reports between Kosovo and Serbia. The dialogue is the forum in which both sides, as equal, should work to resolve differences and reach a comprehensive agreement, which both states need for their European future. We believe that this should focus on mutual recognition”, he said.
He has said that in most Western Balkan countries there have been efforts to strengthen democracy and fight corruption. It has singled out Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state that has marked a backwards return.
Escobar has said Albania and Northern Macedonia have made major reforms and sacrifices in their EU membership efforts. He said both deserve to advance away.
Speaking of sanctioning corruption-related suspects in the region, Escobar has added that the US will continue to account for those blocking the region's progress.
Escobar has expressed concern about expanding the presence of China and Russia in the region.
