Serbia-kosovo deal possible, U.S. says

An agreement over the normalization of ties between Serbia and Kosovo this year is “entirely” possible, a U.S. envoy said on Thursday.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Albin Kurti of Kosovo are set to meet in North Macedonia’s Ohrid lake resort Saturday under European Union auspices to discuss ways to implement a Western-backed deal to normalize relations.

“I would like to see the agreement this calendar year. I think this is entirely possible,” Gabriel Escobar, the senior U.S. diplomat for the Western Balkans, told reporters in Belgrade after meeting Vucic.

On Feb. 28, the two leaders agreed in Brussels that “no further discussions” were needed on the deal between the former wartime foes but that more talks were needed about its implementation.

Escobar said the two parties should focus on normalization of relations and not on mutual recognition, something Kosovo has long demanded.

Under the new agreement, Serbia would stop short of recognizing Kosovo as an independent state but would agree to recognize official documents such as passports, diplomas and license plates, and would not block Kosovo’s membership in any international organization.