US, Kosovo, Serbia call to continue dialogue

State Department spokesman Ned Price said at the daily press conference that Washington is closely following the situation.

What we know is that the talks are continuing. We, in partnership with the EU, are following closely and encourage both sides to use dialogue effectively and suggest that the sides continue dialogue”, Price said.

The State Department spokesman added that Washington supports the dialogue as a whole and said it is important that both sides use these talks effectively, repeating Washington's stance that it is expected to “forward the discussion of normalisation of relations that has the focus of mutual recognition”.

Price said that State Department official Gabriel Escobar, along with US Ambassador to the EU Mark Gitentein, are monitoring the discussions closely between Pristina and Belgrade and added that Secretary of State Antony Blinken is personally engaged.

“are a host of senior officials who are monitoring the issue closely. We have a senior official in Brussels, closely observing these talks. I assure you, these talks have the attention of senior American officials. Our ambassador to the EU is one of the officials watching this closely. But there are senior officials here in Washington doing the same. This is an issue with which Secretary Blinken himself has been personally engaged for a long time. This is a priority that includes our entire organization, on the ground and here in the US”, Price said.

The U.S. State Department spokesman declined to answer whether the White House has delivered a message Thursday to the European Union regarding the Kosovo dialogue Serbia, but he said “we are pleased that these discussions have begun and are continuing even now. We will remain directly involved with both sides, with our counterparts in Kosovo and Serbia, as well as by monitoring talks being mediated by the EU”.