Osmani: It is important to reduce tensions in the north of Kosovo

2023-05-26 21:44:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, whose country holds the next presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said on Friday in Pristina that it is important to reduce the tensions in the north of Kosovo to give space for the political dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia facilitated by the European Union.

Mr. Osmani, who is staying in Pristina after visiting Belgrade the day before, said that the OSCE mission strongly supports the process of normalizing relations between the two countries, which would contribute to regional stability.

"It is important to reduce the tensions on the ground in the north of Kosovo to give space to the political dialogue process facilitated by the European Union", said Mr. Osmani, underlining that the dialogue in the Western Balkans region has always proven to be useful. .

"We should never stop talking about important things. This is also important for the dialogue facilitated by the European Union. We are pleased that in Ohrid we hosted an important meeting, which paved the way for the normalization of relations, and we strongly support this process by contributing to regional stability, and I said this yesterday in Belgrade and I would like to repeat it here in Pristina" , he said.

Mr. Osmani, who is staying in Kosovo as the next head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said that the OSCE is ready to support the implementation of the Kosovo-Serbia agreements.

"I am encouraged by recent progress including the adoption of the Declaration on Missing Persons. As I pointed out in Bosnia and Herzegovina and reaffirmed yesterday in Serbia, it is essential that we resolutely turn the page and look together to the future. Regional cooperation efforts showed the importance of staying close and working together. The more we maximize the dialogue for regional cooperation in the Balkans, the more we minimize the space for disagreement", said Mr. Osmani.

Foreign Minister Donika Gërvalla said that Kosovo is ready for cooperation with all the countries of the region.

"The Western Balkans does not need to be a region of conflict, but a region of neighbors who cooperate on a serious basis of mutual respect and thus produce extraordinary results," she said.

Kosovo and Serbia in March in Ohrid agreed on the implementation of an agreement supported by the West for the normalization of relations between them, which provides recognition of documents and symbols and respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It requires that the parties do not hinder each other in the integration processes, but it does not require mutual recognition. The plan also foresees the fulfillment of all agreements previously reached in the talks mediated by the European Union, which also includes the establishment of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority in Kosovo./VOA