negotiated for months, the document, which notably provides for the recognition of the territorial integrity of the former Serbian province, requires new delicate discussions for its implementation.
By Jean-Baptiste Chastand (Vienne, regional correspondent) and Maria Udrescu (Brussels, Correspondence)
The history of relations between Serbia and its former province of Kosovo, which declared its independence in 2008, is made up of too much non -respected agreements and rise in tension for the European Union (EU) Shouts too quickly victory. But Monday, February 27, the high representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, wanted to be optimistic by making public what he called “a new and lasting base” to ensure “normalization” of relations between These two Balkan countries that maintain a frozen conflict blocking their path to the EU membership.
“Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Kosovar Albin Kurti agreed so that no additional discussion is necessary,” said Borrell about the content of the text of eleven articles rendered public after having been negotiated, since September 2022, by its diplomatic services with the two capitals, and with the close involvement of the United States. The head of European diplomacy has nevertheless recognized as soon as “other additional negotiations are required on the methods of application”, evoking the date of March 18 for a new meeting between the two leaders.
Now, these modalities, especially temporal, are of a fairly crucial nature to have the whole agreement to the condom. Mr. Kurti explained at the end of the meeting in Brussels that he was ready to immediately sign the document, but the Serbian president replied that he preferred “to wait for the implementation plan” before d before ‘Approve a text, it is true, particularly difficult to accept for the Serbian part. The draft agreement provides that Belgrade “respects the territorial integrity” of its former region, “recognizes” its identity documents, establishes a “permanent mission” in Pristina and ceases to “block its membership” to international organizations.
A giant step, while Serbia still refuses to recognize the independence of Kosovo and so far blocks its membership in the UN. “De facto recognition,” even ensures a European source. In exchange, the Kosovare part would undertake to set up an association of Serbian municipalities to bring together the town halls where the Serbian minority, which represents around 100,000 inhabitants on the 1.9 million Kosovars, is in the majority. The principle of an association allowing “an appropriate level of self -management” had already been made during a previous agreement signed in 2013, but it was then never set up by Pristina.
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