Escobar explains Association: Serbs simply organize local institutions in their own language

The special envoy of the United States for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said they do not want to copy Dayton (the agreement that ended the war in Bosnia in 1995) in Kosovo, as he spoke of the Association of Serb majority municipalities in an interview for the Bosnian media, Klx.ba.
Escobar said the association that the US sees is the ability of Serbs to organise local institutions in their language and “nothing more”.

Asked that “who can ensure that tomorrow any other ethnic group in Serbia, Montenegro or elsewhere will not seek additional autonomy or special status”, taking an example from this association, Escobar said that Kosovo's “case is special”.

“We do not want to copy Dayton in Kosovo or Kosovo in northern Macedonia or Montenegro. Montenegro, Northern Macedonia and Serbia are members of those institutions that require the protection of minority nations in line with EU standards. We see that association is in line with EU standards. We see Association as nothing more than the ability of Serbs to organise local institutions in their language. We do not see any threat in this and the need for other countries that are already on the European road to do something else that they are not already doing to implement reforms that the EU asks them for, Escobar said.

The American diplomat said US policy “has never changed”, answering the question of “a new American approach to the Balkans” and whether America “is creating a new order”.
And why not support the Berlin Process so openly, for example, if you support the Open Balkans?

Our policy has never changed. You are the fastest growing region in the EU. Unfortunately, Bosnia and Herzegovina was excluded from her due to political dysfunction. The rest of the region is growing very well. We support any initiative that approaches you on the road to the EU. I fully agree with the Berlin Process, CEFTA as well as the Open Balkans as it is open to all. For us, there is no dilemma between the Berlin Process and the Open Balkans. We are not creating a new facility in the Balkans. It's a toxic narrative produced by those who want a split of”, Escobar said.