The president of the former Serbian province reaffirms the will of its territory to join the community club and commits to the talks led by Brussels to normalize relations with Belgrade
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani announced this Tuesday that her territory will formally apply to join the community bloc this month. “Kosovo will submit its application to join the EU before the end of the year and we expect the full support of member states,” he said in statements ahead of the Summit of the Leaders of the Twenty-Seven and the Balkans held in Tirana, the Albanian capital.
Osmani expressed support for talks promoted by Brussels to resolve differences with Serbia, from which Kosovo declared independence in 2008. The non-recognition of the former province as a country by five EU states, including Spain, has sparked debate over its integration into the club these years. However, steps have been taken, such as the visa waiver for Kosovo citizens, recently agreed by the Twenty-Seven and awaiting final agreement.
In any case, the EU demands as a precondition for possible accession a binding agreement accepted by the authorities in Pristina and Belgrade to normalize their relations. Serbia, which is already in the process of joining the EU along with three other Western Balkan states – Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro – yesterday declared its willingness to start a dialogue with Kosovo. “But at the same time, we must protect our interests in accordance with the constitution,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said, recalling that the Magna Carta considers Kosovo to be an integral part of the country.
“We believe that dialogue led by the EU and fully supported by the United States of America is the only way to reach a final agreement aimed at mutual recognition,” Osmani stressed. To move these talks forward, the EU is said to have already prepared a new proposal to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. This includes a clear action plan, revealed a high-ranking diplomat from Brussels on Tuesday.
Source: La Verdad
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