The head of the EU-Serbia European Parliamentary Committee, Eduard Kukan said during a meeting with a Serb parliamentary delegation that prior to EU accession, Belgrade and Pristina must reach a legally binding agreement which will address all existing problems.

According to him, the first step needed for this is the lifting of tax on Serbian imports by Pristina.

The draft of the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia has finally been revealed. Based on this agreement, which has been made public in social networks in Kosovo, Mitrovica obtains the status of a Free City, while Trepca mining complex, which is estimated to have around 500 billion euros worth of natural resources, obtains a special status. This company will lead to the creation of a joint American-French-Chinese consortium which will exploit the mine for a period of 99 years.

The two most powerful countries of the European Union, Germany and France were not willing to discuss the issue of Western Balkans and Kosovo in Monday’s debates at the EU Council of Ministers meeting. Those countries who have spoken, have expressed their concern about Pristina’s plans to vote on Friday in favour of the transformation of KSF into an army, mentioning the threat for fresh tension.

In Kosovo, families of people who have gone missing during the last war have requested for this issue to be included in the talks being held in Brussels. This request was addressed during a debate held in Pristina regarding the way this issue should be tackled.

See at: https://www.balkaneu.com/the-fate-of-missing-persons-in-kosovo-is-yet-to-be-addressed/

It’s been two years since the signing of the Agreement for the Normalization of Relations between Kosovo and Serbia. The accord was signed on April 19, 2013 in Brussels by the prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia, Hashim Thaci and Ivica Dacic, with the brokerage of the EU head of for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton. The text contains 15 points.

European Parliament (EP) has approved on Wednesday a resolution on the progress of Kosovo proposed by MEP Ulrike Lunacek. For the sixth time in a row, the European Parliament called on the European Union to exert its influence upon the five member countries which have not yet recognized the independence of Kosovo. The resolution states that the recognition of Kosovo would further normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia and it would bring Kosovo further to the EU. Latvian State Secretary for Europe, Kalnina Lukashevica, stressed on behalf of the Council