The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo didn’t resolve their variations, following EU-mediated efforts to ease a spike in tensions.
“As we speak, there’s not an settlement, however we don’t hand over,” stated the EU’s overseas coverage chief, Josep Borrell on Thursday (18 August).
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Borrell stated talks have to proceed, noting that Europe can’t afford one other armed battle given Russia’s struggle in Ukraine.
“This isn’t a second for rising tensions — it’s time to search for options and to unravel lengthy excellent points,” he stated.
Borrell stated either side “agreed to proceed discussions frequently”.
However requested if any progress had made on essentially the most urgent points, Borrell stated no. The talks occurred in Brussels between Serbia’s president Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo’s prime minster Albin Kurti.
Neither made any press statements after the assembly. Vučić is ready to fulfill representatives of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo’s north on Friday.
The 2 sides are at loggerheads over plans by Pristina to challenge licence plates to the ethnic Serbs dwelling in Kosovo’s North Mitrovica.
Kosovo had agreed to postpone issuing the licence plates till 1 September.
However the Serbs refuse to recognise such plates, in addition to entry/exit journey paperwork, amid legacy grievances from the struggle within the Nineties.
Vučić had already hinted that the talks would go nowhere forward of the assembly, telling reporters that they don’t agree on nearly something.
For his half, Borrell stated there was nonetheless time up till to 1 September to discover a answer.
Nato can be ready to ship in additional troops to the north of Kosovo to maintain the peace, stated Nato secretary common Jens Stoltenberg earlier this week.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia 14 years in the past and has round 50,000 ethnic Serbs concentrated in its north.
Some 100 nations recognise Kosovo, together with the US, Germany, and France. However Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania, and Greece don’t.
