Escobar: Signing or not signing agreements does not affect the obligation to implement them

The US envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said the agreements Serbia and Kosovo have signed are a legal obligation for both sides, and that signing them or not does not affect the obligation they have to implement them.

At the last meeting with European leaders in Brussels, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he is willing to accept and sign the draft state for establishing the Association of Serb majority municipalities, while Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic made it clear that he would not accept anything meaning Kosovo's defacto recognition, reports Voice of America.

Asked how it would be further continued after these positions, Mr. Escobar said these two statements do not reflect reality as those agreements are legally binding, which both leaders have accepted as he said.

Similarly, he said the two leaders have taken this commitment before the European Union and the United States, and that the parties have specific obligations to undertake, on the road to normalisation; Kosovo Association and Serbia recognition of Kosovo customs documents, license plates, IDs and other things like that, said Mr. Escobar.

The American official said the United States fully supports the dialogue and that what remains is linked only to time and how both sides will implement obligations.

Serbian Intelligence Agency Chief's Resignment

Asked about today's resignation of the Serbian Intelligence Agency chief (BIA) Aleksandar Vulin, Mr. Escobar, said it has been an extremely destabilising figure in the region for a long time, which American sanctions were based on.

Regarding Aleksandar Vulin's comments that he gave the resignation since Washington and Brussels were demanding such a precondition not to impose sanctions on Serbia, Mr. Escobar said that “ne (SHBA) do not make decisions on behalf of the Serbian government”.