32 minutes agoLajcak in Belgrade: Waiting for all dialogue agreements to be implemented
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)The European Union's special envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, at a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq, on April 20th, said the bloc's states expect both sides to implement all things agreed on during the dialogue held in the last ten years. According to one [...]
According to a report published by the Serbian Presidency, Lajcak said he will continue to engage in continuing dialogue under EU mediation, without delay further.
Meanwhile, in a Twitter post, Lajcak said he has talked with Vuciqi about all issues currently in the agenda, including the new summit.
Vuciq and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, as dialogue bearer, have last met in July 2021.
Meanwhile, in the Serbian Presidency's announcement, Vuciq said that nine years have passed since the signing of the Brussels Agreement and “there is no progress in implementing Pristina's obligations, primarily for establishing the Association of Serb-run municipalities. Serbia expects the agreements reached to be respected and fully implemented”.
The Vuciq-Lajcak meeting was held on a day before the deadline expires when Kosovo and Serbia must reach an agreement on the car license issue.
The interim agreement on license plates, under which the state symbols of Kosovo and Serbia on the license plates are covered with sticky paper, was reached on September 30th last year, aimed at lowering tensions in northern Kosovo.
Later, working groups were formed, which by April 21st should present a permanent solution for license plates “based on EU standards and practices”.
In the EU, they have confirmed that on 21 April, Kosovo's chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi and Serbia's Petar Petkovic will take part in the meeting. The meeting is aimed at analyzing the working groups' proposals, and if the parties agree, reach an acceptable solution for Kosovo and Serbia.
Kosovo had imposed reciprocity for Serbian license plates on September 20th, which meant that Serbia's license plates were replaced with pro-profit plates, worth 60 days and costing five euros. With similar measures, cars from Kosovo had faced for a decade.
On April 18th, Prime Minister Kurti said that for Kosovo, the reciprocity principle for resolving the plates is indisputable and non-negotiable. But, from the Office for Kosovo to the Serbian Government, they have said that the word “reciprocity” is nowhere mentioned in the interim agreement. Meanwhile, the European Union has called on the parties to reach compromise on the license issue.
