Western Balkans

Still no effective dialogue in sight The second meeting in the Serb-Kosovar dialogue also ends without results. After the meeting between Prime Minister Albin Kurti and President Aleksandar Vucic last Monday, the Kosovar government published a document it presented at the meeting under the title "Peace Declaration". It contains six articles. It states that the parties should refrain from any threats and violence, respect borders, protect and promote the rights of minorities, settle differences peacefully and support each other in the European integration process. The document is available at: https://bit.ly/3x4oVWV President Vucic immediately rejected the document as it would have meant the recognition of Kosovo, Serbian media reported afterwards. Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic, in an interview with Serbian television a day later, even spoke of a possible breakdown of dialogue, adding that he had spoken to EU Special representative Miroslav Lajcak and he had said that he would not organise further meetings if no results were to be expected, but that he was patient. "Kosovo and Serbia should close the chapter of the past and move forward," Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said before the meeting. He said he hoped both sides would discuss steps that led forward in a constructive and pragmatic way: "Kosovo and Serbia must definitely close the chapter of the painful past with a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on the normalisation of relations and look to the EU future of their citizens. The past is important, but the future is even more important," Borrell continued. But it was the past that caused the Kosovar prime minister and the Serbian president to clash again. That is why the meeting turned out to be shorter than planned and again resulted in mutual insults: "The Kosovar prime minister refuses to sign the document on stability and security," Vucic said. "The Serbian president is lying," was Kurti's prompt reply. Nevertheless, in the end both agreed to continue the dialogue. The next meeting at delegation level is scheduled for the end of August, the third Kurti-Vucic round for September. Foto: CC Euronews.Albania