Serbia should recognize "de facto" Kosovar citizenship, and Pristina should launch the project for the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian majority.
This position was expressed by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the joint conference with President Vyosa Osmani after their meeting held in Pristina. Earlier, the President of the EC spoke in Skopje with President Stevo Pendarovski and Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski as part of her tour of the Western Balkans.
According to her, dialogue is the only way to move forward.
"We have a new investment plan and this plan is working very well. If it works for the EU member states, it will also work for the countries of the Western Balkans. This plan has the potential to double your income within a decade. All these successes can only be achieved if Kosovo and Serbia normalize their relations. Kosovo must accept the association project, while Serbia must accept de facto recognition and dialogue with the EU is engaged in negotiations. This is the only way to move forward," she said, quoted by Koha.
Von der Leyen also spoke about the liberalization of visas, which, according to him, is the only way to bring people together and strengthen relations between Kosovo and the EU.
"From January 1, Kosovo will be able to enjoy free movement in the European Union. On the other hand, we know it's a fantastic way to bring people together and an important cornerstone in strengthening our relationships. This comes as a result of a lot of work over the years," said the EC President.
She condemned the terrorist attack in the village of Banska on September 24, in which a Serbian armed group killed a Kosovo policeman.
"We clearly condemn the brutal attack in September. My deepest condolences. Such an attack is completely unacceptable. Let me assure you that the EU is committed to the Balkan countries, Kosovo has made very steady progress, we congratulate you on the great work to strengthen democracy. We will walk this path together," she said.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, for his part, said he would send Von der Leyen's position to the Constitutional Court regarding the draft status of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities, but at the moment it is frivolous to say whether the presented draft is within the constitutional framework or not.
Osmani has also demanded that EU sanctions against Kosovo be lifted.
"At the meeting, I emphasized the importance of lifting the sanctions against Kosovo. In recent months, our institutions have shown not only a concrete commitment to de-escalating the situation, but also a full commitment to cooperation and coordination with our allies and partners."
Readiness for new elections in Northern Kosovo
The President stated that Kosovo has shown readiness to hold new elections in the northern municipalities.
"At the same time, our institutions have taken the necessary steps to guarantee new and free elections, but unfortunately the source of the obstacles for this to happen continues to be Belgrade," Osmani said.
Meanwhile, she called for the terrorist group responsible for the September 24 attack in the village of Banska to be brought to justice in Kosovo.
"Just in the last few weeks we have witnessed the destabilizing ambitions coming from Serbia that led to the act of aggression against the Republic of Kosovo on September 24 by Serbian terrorist groups," Osmani said.
"We must be united to reject violence as a means to malicious ends that undermine the very values of the EU," she added.
After the meeting with Osmani, Von der Leyen was received by Prime Minister Albin Kurti. /BGNES
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