“There is no deal today,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday after hours of talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Brussels. “But let’s not give up.” Both agreed that negotiations should continue in the coming days.
There’s still time until September 1st. Borrell was referring to the deadline for the entry into force of the new entry rules for Serbs. Kosovo really wanted to present this on August 1st. After tensions in northern Kosovo escalated nearly three weeks ago, the leadership in Pristina delayed the introduction for a month under pressure from the EU and the US.
Borrell: No alternative to dialogue
“I think both President Vucic and Prime Minister Kurti have understood that there is no alternative to dialogue to resolve this issue,” Borrell said on Thursday. He described the tensions as symptoms of “the broader issue of unresolved status” in Serbia-Kosovo relations.
The EU has been trying for years to help clarify the relationship between the two sides. This is extremely tense because Kosovo, which is now almost exclusively inhabited by Albanians, broke away from Serbia in 1999 with NATO help and declared its independence in 2008. More than 100 countries, including Austria, have recognized Kosovo’s independence. Others, including Serbia, Russia, China and five EU countries, have not yet done so.
In his statement, Borrell appealed to both major politicians to account. In view of the Russian war against Ukraine, he spoke of a “critical phase for Europe”. “This is not the time for rising tensions. It is time to seek solutions and resolve age-old issues.”
EU membership: long-term goal for both countries
At the same time, he made it clear to Vucic and Kurti that EU membership must remain the long-term goal of both countries, according to Borrell. The first step on this path is a solution to the current situation.
Serbia has already been granted EU candidate status and has been negotiating since 2014. Kosovo is a “potential candidate”.