Escobar: US hosts concrete proposals from Kosovo for Association by 2 May

“I hope by May 2nd there will be a concrete proposal”, Mr. Escobar said in an interview for the Albanian American Voice Service.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Europe said there has been progress on this issue and an extraordinary evolution in the Kosovo government's stance, and in particular, the prime minister, to accept this legal obligation.

“is an existing obligation under the Brussels Agreement, and it was very difficult for the government and the party to accept it as mandatory. But now they are considering it a obligation, agreeing with it and publicly saying what the framework and parameters of association should be. And we agree with these” parameters, said Mr. Escobar.

The senior State Department official said the United States will recognise Sunday's elections in northern Kosovo, even if the Serb List boycotts them, saying the boycott does not determine the elections.

“We have called on and I personally have asked Serbs, the Serbian List, to participate and not give up their role. Not participating is their decision. But these are predicted by the Constitution. There are unfinished places. There are people who aren't taking services from local government because there's no participation. So if these choices are free and fair, and I predict they are, the result will be legitimate from our point of view”, said Mr. Escobar.

He said he hopes Serbs in Kosovo will find a way to return to institutions. However, Mr. Escobar said the boycott should not delay the establishment of association.

That obligation is immediate, existing. So, no matter who is in power, the association should form”, he said.

Mr. Escobar praised the Ohrid Agreement as the extraordinary “” and said that if it is properly implemented, it would bring a new era to peaceful relations between Serbia and Kosovo” and pave the way for their Euro-Atlantic future