PRISTINA – The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission, Federica Mogherini will host a meeting with President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić and President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi in Brussels to move forward with the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, in her speech to EU ambassadors conference on Monday.
“I think we can set as our own goal, by the end of this mandate, to see substantive steps forward for each of our Balkan partners on their path towards European Union membership, despite having had some moments of crisis, acute crisis, at the end of the day our partners in the Balkans have always, always managed to recommit and to reconfirm their willingness and their capacity to advance on the European Union way,” Mogherini said.
The meeting between President Thaçi and Vučić is expected to take place on 31 August to discuss modalities on reaching a final agreement to Kosovo and Serbia dialogue.
Presidents Thaçi and Vučić, as heads of state, met in Brussels on 3 July where they agreed on a new phase of dialogue between both states as well as agreed upon creating working groups to prepare the advancement of the process in this phase.
Following 3 July meeting, attended by HR/VP Mogherini as well, Thaçi and Vučić emphasized that a new phase of the negotiation process, which according to its facilitator, the European Union, aims to normalize the relations between the two countries.
President Thaçi had declared that the agreement would have a preparatory beginning to the next phase of negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia which would lead to a normalisation and reconciliation among our countries and people thus closing a dark chapter of the past and opening a safe perspective towards the European future.
On the other hand, President Vučić declared that the dialogue will undoubtedly move forward in Brussels, a substantial dialogue to how relations will be seen in the following years.
The dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia on technical issues started in March 2011 for the first time since the declaration of Kosovo’s independence in 2008. Among the first agreements was that of Integrated Border Management or Free Movement.
Kosovo and Serbia had reached the first agreement on relations normalization in April 2013, which foresees the formation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities.