Escobar Cholls in the U.S. Senate today speak of the Western Balkans

This guest hearing is: Derek Chollet, senior adviser to the U.S. State Department and American Emisar for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.

One day before the Senate, US State Department Senior Adviser Derek Chollet has said it is necessary to avoid provocations and conflicts between Kosovo and Serbia.

He made these statements during a telephone conversation he has conducted with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq.

According to the Serbian Presidency, the senior US official has said it is important that Kosovo and Serbia continue working on normalising the reports and has again given US support for the dialogue process, which is mediated by the European Union.

“President Vuciq stressed that Serbia continues to be committed to peace policy and co-operation in the region”, the Serbian Presidency announced.

Vuciq and Cholles have also talked about co-operation in the field of economy and trade between Washington and Belgrade.

Kosovo and Serbia hold dialogue since 2011, the process aimed at fully normalising the reports.

In February, the parties reached the basic agreement towards normalisation of the reports in Brussels, meanwhile a month later in Ohrid, reached Anex for implementation of this agreement.

The agreement, consisting of 11 articles, does not force Serbia to recognise Kosovo, but requires both countries to accept each other's documents and symbols, including passports, diplomas and license plates.

It also requires, from the parties to implement all agreements reached so far in the dialogue on normalising relations, including that of the Serb majority municipalities' association.

Serbia has demanded that association be a priority, but Kosovo insists all provisions of the agreement should be implemented.

At the latest summit of the high-level dialogue, held on May 2nd, the Association Formation Management Team has presented the first draft of the statute for the establishment of association to the parties.

This draft has been rejected by the Kosovo side.

The Kosovo government has dismissed the Management Team, which has drafted the statute for Association, with the argument that this team has completed its mandate with the draft presentation. But this act of Kosovo executive in the EU is considered to be contrary to the dialogue agreement. The European bloc has voiced stance that this team of four Serb members should be functional until the adoption of the Association statute.

Kosovo and Serbia have reached two agreements for Association, in 2013 and 2015. But, the agreement on principles for establishing association, according to the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, is not in full harmony with the highest judicial act of the state. However, the Constitution has said it can be harmonised with legal acts.