Borell before leaving post: Kosovo- Serbia won't disappear

Europe's outgoing diplomacy chief Josep Borelli praised that during his mandate much has been done within the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, saying progress in dialogue requires courage, vision and political will of leaders of both sides.

He's in an authorial text published at E portal. The EAS has stressed that normalising Kosovo-Serbia relations is the focus of EU involvement in the Western Balkans.

“It is necessary to unlock the European future for both sides and strengthen security and stability in the region”, he said.

Borrell stressed that in the context of the dialogue much has been done in recent years, and added that the process can only progress enough to be available to both sides.

“The EU interface cannot bring greater normalisation than Kosovo and Serbia want. After several months different people will be at the top of this topic in Brussels, but EU expectations and member states will not change. Kosovo- Serbia will not disappear”, Borrell said.

As the most important achievement during the mandate, Borrell cited the agreement in Ohrid and Annex for its implementation 2023, while adding that Kosovo and Serbia bear responsibility for not fulfilling what they promised more than a year ago.

According to him, dialogue brought improvements in the lives of citizens in Kosovo and Serbia, warning that new meetings between the parties in the dialogue process will continue.

Otherwise, Borrell will leave his post after the mandate ends, while instead at the summit held Thursday in Brussels following the European Parliament's elections, names that will lead the EU for the next five years were announced.

EU leaders elected Antonio Costa as European Council president, Ursula von der Leenen president of the European Commission and Estonia's outgoing prime minister, Kaya Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Kallas, who will serve as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for five years, is also Estonia's first female prime minister.

The daughter of former Prime Minister of Estonia and EU Commissioner Simim Kallas decided to follow in her father's steps, leaving her job as a lawyer and entered the Estonia Parliament in 2011 as a member of the Liberal Reform Party. She served in the EP from 2014 to 2018.

Kallas, the new senior EU representative, is the first Eastern European politician to hold the post. It will also be the first Estonian politician to hold a high position in the EU administration. It will also serve as European Commission vice president.