EU: Establishment of Association, without preconditions

The European Union has demanded that work on establishing the Association of Serb majority municipalities “starts without new delays and preconditions”.

So said the announcement issued by EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell, following his meeting with the bloc's foreign ministers in New York, in the UN General Assembly margins. He briefed European top diplomats on the latest round of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

For association, Kosovo and Serbia have reached agreement in 2013. But, Pristina has failed to implement it, voicing fears it could affect the state's functionality.

The EU demanded that Kosovo and Serbia be “approach constructively and trust” for implementation of the Agreement towards normalisation and all agreements reached in the dialogue for normalisation.

Borrell said the EU is concerned with the lack of progress on both sides for extending the situation to the north of Kosovo, several months after increasing tensions.

Local Serb citizens there are opposing the new Albanian mayors, elected in April, who were boycotted by the Serb population.

Tensions culminated in clashes between protesters and NATO peacekeeping mission troops in Kosovo, KFOR.

“against repeated calls from the EU and other international partners, steps that have been taken so far remain insufficient and the security situation in the north remains tense”, said in the communique.