Serbia, Kosovo normalization talks to resume on June 15

BELGRADE, Serbia

Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo will meet on June 15 for a new round of talks on normalization of ties, an EU official announced on Wednesday.

“The new round of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will be held in Brussels next Tuesday,” EU Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said at a news conference.

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will take part in the talks, which will be the first since Kurti became premier this March.

The focus will be on “how to proceed in the future,” Stano said, adding that hopes are high that efforts ongoing since 2011 will result in a comprehensive normalization agreement.

The EU has been leading negotiations between the two sides for nearly a decade, but the process has suffered setbacks due to heightened tensions over the past few years.

Last September, Serbia and Kosovo agreed to take steps towards economic cooperation after talks held in the US.

Serbia, however, had turned down calls for mutual recognition.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008 and is recognized by more than 100 countries, including the US, the UK, France, Germany, and Turkey.

Belgrade, however, still claims Kosovo as a breakaway province. China and Russia are among the countries yet to recognize Kosovo as an independent state.