Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz said that the parliamentary elections in Kosovo, which were carried out with almost no problems, constitute another step toward strengthening of democracy and noted that the outcome provides a clear guideline for the continuation of the reconciliation process with Belgrade.

A commendable fact is that unlike in the past, not a single case of use of force or any major irregularities were registered on the election day, he said in a release and added that the continuous increase of Serb participation is another important step toward the removal of obstacles between the mainly Serb-inhabited north and the Kosovo Albanian majority.

The constructive stand of the Serbian government contributed to this as well, because the government called on Kosovo Serbs to take part in the elections, he said.

Now it is important for both sides to carry out further courageous steps toward the reconciliation process, Kurz said.

He expressed the hope that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement will be signed soon.

Both the EU and Kosovo have an interest in the continuation of the European path and this strengthens the political stability of the entire region and sends the necessary economic impulses, Kurz said.