Tonight Kurt meets Escobar and Lajcak

On the eve of the new round of dialogue, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will hold a meeting in Brussels on the 17 August evening with US envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, and EU envoy for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak teaches Radio Free Europe.

According to diplomatic sources, this meeting testifies to the ever closer co-ordination between the United States and the European Union around Kosovo.

Diplomatic sources told the REL that Washington and Brussels have common interest in peace and stability in the region, as well as the realisation of aspirations for the Western Balkan region to integrate into the European family.

This co-operation is necessary to achieve success even in dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, diplomatic sources said.

Kurti and Vuciq will meet on 18 August in Brussels in the new round of dialogue. The topic of the talks, according to the EU-published agenda, will also be the intention to reduce tensions between the two countries.

Tensions rose after July 31st and August 1st, after local Serbs blocked roads leading to the border points of Jarinje and Brnjak to challenge the two decisions of the Kosovo government.

The first decision has to do with issuing a document of entry and exit for all citizens of Serbia, once they enter Kosovo. Serbia has applied this move to Kosovo citizens for 11 years.

Meanwhile, the second decision concerns reregistering Serbia's license plates. Kosovo considers illegal plates with acronyms of Kosovo cities such as UR, PZ, KM and similar.

The barricades were removed in the afternoon of August 1st, and the Kosovo government, following the international factor's intervention, agreed to postpone implementation of decisions by September 1st.

On August 17th, after meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Kurti said he would not give up on implementing the decisions, as he said they are legal.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq also met with Stoltenberg. Chief NATO said that the mission in Kosovo, KFOR remains ready to intervene if security is threatened.

Meetings with Stoltenberg, but the new round of dialogue is also said to be aimed at reducing tensions.

Even after the barricades were removed, officials in Kosovo and Serbia have exacerbated rhetoric, which prompted the EU to react by warning that it will hold leaders responsible for any eventual escalation of the situation.

During 17 August, Vuciq has announced he met Lajcak.

In a conversation with Lajcak, I reiterated Serbia's strong commitment to continue doing everything in order to preserve peace and stability in the region, as well as through dialogue to come to find compromise, without pressure and ultimatum. I reiterated that Serbia insists on full implementation of agreed agreements and signed in Brussels, because we have fully fulfilled all of our commitments”, Vuciq wrote in his accounts on social networks.

Kosovo and Serbia have launched the EU-brokered dialogue in 2011. But the parties differ as to the epilogue of the process. Kosovo wants a final agreement to include mutual recognition, meanwhile, Serbia wants a compromise solution. (Rel)