EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says she is planning to host a new round of normalization talks between the presidents of Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels on November 8, two days after Pristina announced its decision to impose tariffs on Serbian goods.
Kosovo’s move prompted anger in Serbia, where Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic accused Pristina of undermining the ongoing EU-mediated process to normalize relations with Belgrade.
The two neighbors have had tense relations since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Although more than 110 countries recognize Kosovo, Serbia does not.
Both Serbia and Kosovo have been told they must resolve their differences in order to make progress toward European Union membership. However, the EU-sponsored talks between the two countries’ leaders have been stop-and-go in recent months.
At the planned Brussels meeting, Mogherini’s office said on November 7 that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar President Hashim Thaci were “expected to confirm their readiness to intensify work to reach a legally binding agreement on comprehensive normalization.”
“On my way to Brussels for yet another difficult meeting with counterpart from Serbia, but a necessary one to achieve the final, comprehensive legally binding deal between Kosovo and Serbia,” Thaci tweeted.
See more at:https://www.rferl.org/a/brussels-to-host-serbia-kosovo-talks-amid-tensions-over-tariffs/29588174.html
