European foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini was due on February 9 to host talks with the prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia aimed at further normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina.
The meeting in Brussels will be the first of its kind for Serbian Prime Minister Aleksander Vucic and Kosovo’s Isa Mustafa since the two took office.
Normalization of relations with neighboring states is a key precondition for countries seeking membership in the European Union.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, but Serbia does not officially recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state.
Nevertheless, in April 2013, the governments of Serbia and Kosovo signed a 15-point “First Agreement of Principles Governing the Normalization of Relations.”
Known as the Brussels Agreement, the accord cleared the way for the EU to begin work on a Stabilization and Association Agreement with Kosovo, and for the start of EU accession negotiations with Serbia.