Serbia and Kosovo have reached an agreement to end a mounting tension at their shared borders.
The accord negotiated in Brussels calms the latest flare-up in a decades-old standoff between Serbia and Kosovo.
“We have a deal,” European Union mediator Miroslav Lajcek tweeted on Thursday.
“After two days of intense negotiations, an agreement on de-escalation and the way forward has just been reached.”
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar was in Brussels to show support for E.U.-led talks. He further said showed the potential for more progress in the Balkans.
“I think we can make enormous strides in helping the Balkans get over a very difficult period during the ’90s and hopefully, eventually become more integrated with the European Union,” Escobar said on a briefing call with reporters.
However, the deal does not resolve a bigger issue blocking European Union membership talks: that Serbia and its former province Kosovo should normalize relations following Pristina’s 2008 independence.
Thus, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic played down hopes of any broader breakthrough for now. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence.
“I think the agreement is fair for the citizens. I would like us to be able to find more lasting solutions. That would not include recognition of Kosovo,” Vucic told a news conference in Serbia, where he was hosting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
