Kosovo and Serbia must continue to fully implement the agreements reached in the dialogue mediated by the European Union (EU), said the US Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Escobar held a joint press conference following their meeting at the Kosovo Presidency.
Osmani stated that they discussed with Escobar the new regulation of the Central Bank of Kosovo (BQK), which stipulates that the only currency allowed for cash payments in Kosovo will be the euro.
Noting that cooperation with allies is useful and necessary, Osmani said, “Sustainable and effective implementation of the (BQK) regulation is possible with full cooperation and support from our allies. As I have always said, our allies are in favor of the implementation of the constitution and a stable transition plan, so I believe that the issue of the regulation will move forward with a common solution that will be in the interest of all citizens of Kosovo.”
Osmani added that the US commitment and role in concluding a dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia that will lead to mutual recognition remains essential.
US Representative for the Western Balkans Escobar said the US did not challenge the legitimacy of the BQK decision, but had issues with the way it was implemented and its impact on Serbian society.
“To reach a historic normalization agreement, both sides need to continue to fully implement it. We are also working to ensure that Serbia implements what is expected of it. So this is not a unilateral effort to make Kosovo alone make the difficult decisions that are needed to make the agreements a reality,” Escobar said.
Escobar said he had an open and honest conversation with the Kosovo President regarding the attack by a Serbian armed group on the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo on September 24, and described Osmani as the main guarantor of relations between the US and Kosovo.
During his visit to Kosovo, Escobar will also hold meetings with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, opposition party leaders and political representatives of the country’s Serbian community.
Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process
It is said that the main reason for the frequent confrontation between the two countries is that Serbia regards Kosovo, which declared its unilateral independence in 2008, as its own territory.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reached an agreement on the normalization of relations in Brussels, under the mediation of the EU, on February 27, 2023, and an annex to the implementation of the agreement in Ohrid, North Macedonia, on March 18, 2023.
The agreement was never put on paper because Serbian President Vucic refused to sign it.
Within the scope of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Process, which was launched in 2011 under the mediation of the EU, a common path is being sought for the normalization of relations and, ultimately, for the two countries to recognize each other.
Recent tensions in northern Kosovo have caused the process to stall.
With the entry into force of the BQK regulation on February 1, which stipulates that the only currency that can be used in cash payments in the country is the euro, the use of the Serbian dinar in the country was also “indirectly” banned, adding to the “currency” issue that has been ongoing between the two countries.
