US welcomes normalization talks between Serbia, Kosovo

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US on Tuesday welcomed the Brussels-facilitated talks between Serbia and Kosovo to normalize ties.

"The United States welcomes the leaders’ talks under the EU-facilitated Dialogue on Feb. 27 and strongly supports the process of normalization of their relations," State Department Spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Although Monday's meeting was "a good step forward," he said "difficult work remains."

“Agreement on the implementation annex is essential to normalization under the EU proposal,” he noted.

"Progress towards establishing the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities remains critical to building Kosovo’s future as a sovereign, multiethnic and independent country integrated into Euro-Atlantic structures.”

Launched in 2011, the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue aims to find a mutually agreeable solution for the disputes in the framework of a legally binding agreement.

Following a flareup in border tensions last summer, the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, presented the bloc's latest proposal on normalizing relations in September.

The EU requires Kosovo and Serbia to reach a final agreement that can resolve issues between the two countries for progress in the integration process.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, with most UN member states including the US, the UK, France, Germany and Türkiye recognizing it as a separate autonomous country from its neighbor. But Belgrade continues to regard it as its territory.

Lately, the parties have been negotiating what is popularly known as the Franco-German proposal, supported by the US and all EU members.