Ambassador Hill: I look forward to seeing Kosovo part of open Balkans

He said that the Open Balkans is a comprehensive initiative and orders all countries, as he said, to play their role in this initiative.

Ambassador Hill said the US supports dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia mediated by the European Union, but stressed the fact that the Open Balkans is an initiative that includes not only political areas.

I look forward to seeing Kosovo as part of the Balkans opened. It is a good initiative here in the Balkans, and I look forward to seeing Kosovo as part of such events in the future. I see it more as an economic initiative, but perhaps cultural. The idea is that people have a lot in common and have to make sure that the borders of things like these, more united than sharing”, Ambassador Christopher Hill said, for RTV21, during an Open Balkan Summer Fair held in Boegrad.

He said the Open Balkans see it as a way to create co-operation models.

I don't want to talk about winners or losers. I want to talk about the Open Balkans as a good opportunity for people to recognise their neighbours and overcome problems without outside interference. I consider the Open Balkans a way to create co-operation models and ensure that Balkan countries are better known among themselves, because all these countries are aiming for EU membership. I think all these countries will succeed on this road, but those that will create the best neighbourhood will have success of the first”, he said.

Hill said they support the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

The “Open Balkans is the initiative established by countries within the Balkans itself, is open and comprehensive, and I would tell everyone to play their role in the initiative. We certainly support the Kosovo dialogue mediated by the European Union, but the Open Balkans is an initiative that includes other areas not only political ones. So I think that all countries must overcome distrust, overcome problems and realize that we are dealing with a very integrated world. And the Open Balkans is the best initiative to start”, Hill said.

The Open Balkans Initiative is the continuation of the Balkan Mini-Shengen, presented in Novi Sad of Serbia on October 10th 2019 by leaders of Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Albania.

Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro are not part of it.