Serbia’s Foreign Minister invites US Secretary of State to visit Belgrade (N1, Beta)
Ivica Dacic, the chief of Serbia's diplomacy, said on Wednesday he had invited Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, to visit Serbia, the Beta news agency quoted his Ministry’s statement as saying.
The statement added Dacic briefed Pompeo on the current situation concerning the European Union-facilitated Belgrade – Pristina dialogue on normalisation of relations during their meeting at the inaugural ceremony for the far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who promised to follow the US President Donald Trump's footsteps.
Last November, according to the State Department news release, Pompeo called on the Kosovo authorities to revoke the 100 percent tariffs imposed on goods from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, after the EU asked Pristina to do the same.
Instead, Kosovo on Tuesday extended the measure to goods made in Serbia by foreign companies, and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said the tariffs would remain in place forever or until Belgrade recognised Kosovo's independence.
Speaking during a meeting in Washington on November 27 last year, with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, Pompeo said Pristina should “seize this unique window of opportunity to reach a historic comprehensive normalisation deal” with Serbia under the EU auspices."
He called the Kosovo authorities "to work with Serbia to avoid provocations and de-escalate tensions,” the press release said.
Pompeo said the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia was the only way to clear the path for both countries’ future integration into the Western community of nations, adding Washington was prepared to help and support both sides in “reaching a durable, implementable solution which will increase stability.”