Kosovo Prime Minister and Serbian President to meet in Brussels for new round of dialogue
EU External Affairs Spokesperson Peter Stano confirmed that Albin Kurti and Aleksandar Vucic will meet in Brussels on June 26 to continue the EU-mediated dialogue on the normalization of relations. However, there are no details yet available regarding the agenda of the meeting.
Why is this relevant
This marks the first meeting since the Banjska attack, where a group of armed Serbs assaulted Kosovo Police, resulting in the death of one officer before fleeing to Serbia. The attack occurred on September 24, 2023, just 10 days after the last round of EU-mediated talks between the two leaders.
Context
The announcement came as a surprise to observers, coming shortly after the Serbian Foreign Minister stated in an interview that the dialogue was in a “coma.” The September meeting ended without tangible results due to irreconcilable differences between the parties. Subsequent efforts to bring the leaders together were futile amid escalating tensions following the Banjska incident. Kosovo has repeatedly accused Belgrade of orchestrating the attack and sheltering the perpetrators, allegations that Belgrade denies.
It appears that the June 26 meeting was arranged during visits to Pristina and Belgrade by the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, and will primarily focus on advancing the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement, aimed at normalizing diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The meeting will be mediated by High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and EU Special Representative Lajcak.
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