A crisis meeting with the EU did not bring a solution to the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo. “Today there is no deal,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after hours of talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Brussels. “But let’s not give up.”
Both agreed that negotiations should continue in the coming days. There’s still time until September 1st.
“I think both President Vucic and Prime Minister Kurti have understood that there is no alternative to dialogue to resolve this issue,” Borrell said on Thursday. He described the tensions as symptoms of “the broader issue of unresolved status” in Serbia-Kosovo relations.
In his statement, Borrell appealed to the accountability of both major politicians. In view of the Russian war against Ukraine, he spoke of a “critical phase for Europe”. “This is not the time for rising tensions. It is time to seek solutions and clarify long-standing open questions.”
At the same time, he made it clear to Vucic and Kurti that EU membership must remain the long-term goal of both countries, according to Borrell. The first step on this path is a solution to the current situation.