The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has congratulated the people of Kosovo on the 15th anniversary of statehood, and has reconfirmed the partnership between the two countries.
He said he expects continued cooperation to strengthen security and stability in Kosovo and the Western Balkans.
“The normalization of relations with Serbia, with mutual recognition at the center, is essential for this. The recently proposed agreement within the dialogue mediated by the European Union has our great support and it will lead your country towards greater regional stability and European and Euro-Atlantic integrations”, said Blinken.
Publicly known as the Franco-German plan, the EU’s proposal for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is said to serve as a path towards the final agreement between the two countries.
Both Kosovo and Serbia have accepted the plan, but it has never been presented to the public.
In a draft seen by Radio Free Europe, recognition is not specifically mentioned, but equal rights for Kosovo and Serbia, respect for territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, recognition of state symbols and a special arrangement for the Serbian community in Kosovo.
Kosovo and Serbia started negotiations mediated by the European Union in 2011.
During this time, some 33 agreements were signed, but not all of them were implemented.
Right now the two countries have different goals for the final agreement.
Kosovo insists on mutual recognition, Serbia seeks a compromise solution.
Source : Radio Evropa e Lirë