Hill: Association will be in line with the Brussels Agreement, precise design will be determined through negotiations

The “Association is part of Brussels' dialogue since 2013 and should be formed so that the Serb community, mainly in northern Mitrovica, will see what its future will be. I think they are currently looking at many models that are in line with European standards”, Hill told Pink TV.

Asked what the deadline for forming association is, whether it is the period before or after local elections in the four municipalities in northern Kosovo, Hill said that “cannot speak for such short terms” and added that it is the special American envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, who “for several terms and that everything can be completed by the end of 2023<3>.

However, I think we should try to move fast to ensure that the interests of the Serb community in Kosovo are respected”, the US diplomat said.

Hill praised as a very successful “ ” negotiations in Ohrid on March 18th, when Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti reached a verbal agreement on the annex of implementation of the Agreement on the road to normalisation of relations.

I think they made progress. I'd like to see some more concrete things, but I think we're moving very clearly towards implementing this process of dialogue. It still takes a lot to do, especially in articulating what Association will look like, it's a key matter”, he added, broadcast Democracy.com.

Hill said it is talking about organising a new meeting between Vuciqi and Kurti, and added that it will be an opportunity “to clarify some things”.