RT.com
19 Mar 2023, 15:44 GMT+10
The breakaway province has agreed to greater autonomy for its minority population, says the Serbian president
Serbia and its breakaway province Kosovo have made headway in normalizing ties, reaching agreement on several crucial points, President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Saturday. He said Pristina had consented to the creation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM) which would give greater autonomy to the Serb population in several areas of Kosovo.
Speaking after a high-level meeting in Ohrid, North Macedonia, which was attended by Kosovo's Prime Minister Aljbin Kurti and EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, Vucic said that while he "had not signed anything today," the parties "had made good progress in a constructive atmosphere."
"It was no D-day, but it was an OK day," he summed up.
"These few points that we agreed upon will become part of the negotiation framework for each of the parties... The European Council will assess how much has been done by the implementation plan, which will have to be expanded," Vucic stated.
He highlighted that Belgrade attached much importance to the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities. "That's why I'm really happy. It was stated that the formation of the CMS should be started immediately, but I don't know if Pristina will do it."
"If we want to persevere on the European path, our progress will also be appreciated in terms of the implementation of what I told you about tonight," the president added.
Progress was also confirmed by the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell. "The parties have fully committed to honor all articles of the agreement and implement their respective obligations expediently and in good faith," he tweeted.
Last month, the EU unveiled a proposal for a "path to normalization" of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. At the time, the bloc insisted that the two develop "good-neighborly relations," recognize each other's documents and "proceed on the assumption that neither of the two can represent the other in the international sphere."
Both parties must also "ensure an appropriate level of self-management for the Serbian community in Kosovo," the EU said at the time.
However, Vucic signaled that while Serbia is ready to work on implementation of many points of the EU-backed plan, formal recognition and Kosovo's accession to the UN are out of the question.
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 with the support of the US and many of its allies. The breakaway region is not recognized by several countries, including Russia, China and Serbia itself.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of China National News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to China National News.
More InformationGANAPAVARAM, India/GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador: India's shrimp exporters are facing mounting uncertainty as new U.S. tariffs threaten to disrupt...
NEW YORK, New York - Technology stocks fell sharply Wednesday, dragging down the industrial sector in its wake, as Donald Trump's trade...
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE/TOKYO: U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his opposition to a foreign takeover of U.S. Steel, casting renewed...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Argentina has struck a major deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), securing a US$20 billion loan...
TOKYO, Japan: As Japan prepares for critical trade talks with the United States, a top policymaker has stressed the need to strengthen...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks ended with minor losses on Tuesday as investors and traders continued to navigate markets with continued...
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE/TOKYO: U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his opposition to a foreign takeover of U.S. Steel, casting renewed...
HONG KONG: Hong Kong's last major opposition party has begun the process of dissolving, a symbolic end to decades of pro-democracy...
TOKYO, Japan: As Japan prepares for critical trade talks with the United States, a top policymaker has stressed the need to strengthen...
BERLIN, Germany: Talks between the EU and China could pave the way for a shift from tariffs to minimum price agreements on Chinese...
BEIJING, China: Tesla has halted new orders in China for its two U.S.-made premium models as trade tensions between Washington and...
TAIPEI, TAIWAN: A strong push from artificial intelligence demand lifted TSMC's quarterly revenue to new highs, with the chipmaker...