The European Union's special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue led a delegation of Western envoys to Pristina and Belgrade on January 20 as part of a push by the EU and the United States to spur the process of normalization between them.
Miroslav Lajcak said he was encouraged by what he heard, but it was too early to draw any conclusions from the talks that he and the four other envoys held on an EU proposal submitted at the end of the summer.
The 10-point proposal, which RFE/RL has seen, does not envision mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia but lays out the commitment of each party not to hinder the other in the normalization process.
"It is too early to make dramatic statements because, as you know, we are in the middle of our mission,” Lajcak said in Pristina before departing for Belgrade.
Lajcak and envoys from the United States, France, Germany, and Italy traveled to Pristina for talks with Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Kosovo. They later met in Belgrade with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to discuss possible next steps toward normalizing relations.
Lajcak said that the EU and the U.S. commitment to achieving the normalization was demonstrated by the presence of so many envoys.
He said he and the other envoys “have been waiting for a better understanding of the possibilities offered by [the EU] proposal" as ongoing efforts to defuse tensions continue.
Kosovo broke away from Serbia after a war in 1998-99 and declared independence in 2008, but Belgrade, its allies Russia and China, and a number of other countries have never recognized it. The dispute remains a source of instability in the Balkans amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Kurti said after the meeting that the EU proposal is "a good basis for further talks," while Vucic said that Serbia was "ready to accept the concept and work on the implementation of the European plan."
Vucic added that he has "concern and reservations about an important matter" but did not elaborate.
After meeting with Kurti, Lajcak said that the delegation expected more understanding from Pristina about the possibilities offered by the EU proposal, which he described as "the best way for the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo and for European integration of the region.”
Vucic, he said, “demonstrated a responsible approach and willingness to take difficult decisions in the interest of peace and European perspective for Serbia,” adding: “We feel encouraged. Our work will continue without delay.”
Lajcak also reiterated the importance of the timely implementation of the Agreement on the Association of Serbian Municipalities, calling it “a key element for stability.”
The formation of the association in Kosovo is the most controversial issue in the dialogue. Kosovar officials say that it cannot be monoethnic. In addition, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo has found several violations in the agreement and has concluded that the association can only be formed according to the constitution.
Serbia insists that the association be formed according to a 2015 agreement, and Vucic said the association must be formed urgently.
U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, who visited Pristina and Belgrade last week, has also stressed the importance of the formation of the association. Chollettold RFE/RL in an interview on January 19 that he did not expect any solutions to come out of the meetings on January 20, but said they represented "an important turning point."