TIRANA – The European Union (EU) has announced that the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo mediated by it for the normalization of their relations will resume in July, although it has not yet specified a specific date for it.
“The dialogue should resume in July, next month,” said Community Foreign Spokesman Peter Stano, during the daily press conference of the European Commission (EC) on Tuesday as quoted by EFE news agency. He added that the date “has yet to be identified,” but that they are working to make the meeting happen.
The announcement of the resumption of the dialogue has been possible after the contacts held by the EU special representative for these negotiations, Miroslav Lajcak, last week in Pristina and on Monday in Belgrade.
The negotiation to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia, in a process promoted by the EU, has been paralyzed since Pristina imposed the 100% tariff on the import of Serbian products in November 2018. The Kosovo government, however, subsequently lifted these restrictions on trade with Serbia.
Standardization between the two parties is a requirement demanded by the EU for both to move towards integration in the Union.
Kosovo proclaimed its independence from Serbia in 2008, which Belgrade does not recognize, but which has been recognized by big powers such as the United States and most European Union member countries with the exception of 5 of them.
In the meantime all eyes are set on the expected talks between senior officials of Kosovo and Serbia to be held in Washington D.C. on June 27 this year. /argumentum.al
