Lajcak: Undertaken commitments must be met

BELGRADE - The EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak says commitments undertaken in the dialogue must be met by both sides.

"The EU is currently working on dual tracks to get the process of Belgrade-Pristina talks to move forward. The first priority is that both sides agree on the EU proposal on normalisation of relations. Secondly, we continue to work in parallel on ensuring full and immediate implementation of all elements of what has been agreed in the dialogue to date, which remain valid and are binding for both sides," Lajcak told Politika in an interview.

He said a large portion of the 2013 First Brussels Agreement had already been implemented, with the "significant exception" of a Community of Serb Municipalities and provisions on energy supplies to the north of Kosovo, which he noted were a part of the same package.

"Some parts of the implementation have gone unnoticed by the public, but all of that has been very important on the path to normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, bringing direct benefits to citizens. For example, there are implemented agreements relating to telecommunications, police integration, the judiciary and local administration that were, however, suspended in November 2022 following the withdrawal of Kosovo Serbs from north Kosovo institutions," Lajcak explained.

He said both sides had "a list of outstanding commitments from the 2013 package."

"Establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities is long overdue and we expect Kosovo to commence it immediately, while Serbia must ensure a return of Kosovo Serbs to Kosovo institutions," he said.

Lajcak also noted that both Pristina and Belgrade had work to do on implementation of an Energy Road Map and that Pristina also had outstanding commitments related to an agreement on the judiciary.