US President Trump’s national security advisor Robert O’Brien has stated that Kosovo-Serbia talks at the White House on September 4 will advance peace between the two countries through economic cooperation while the EU spokesman, Peter Stano, confirmed the EU mediate dialogue will continue on September 5, 6 and 7.
“I look forward to welcoming President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti to the White House tomorrow. These important discussions will advance peace through economic cooperation. Both leaders’ commitment to dialogue will benefit Serbia and Kosovo,” O’Brien tweeted on Wednesday.
The meeting was scheduled for September 2 and then postponed by two days. It follows another meeting that was cancelled after war crime indictments against Kosovo president were published in June.
Kosovo and Serbia teams will have meetings with US officials in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Hoti and Vucic will meet on Friday.
The agenda for the September 4 meeting has not been revealed but all parties have confirmed that they will include issues of economic cooperation. Letters of intent on railways, airline and highway that were signed earlier could now turn into agreements. An US official that spoke to RFE/REL did not exclude other topics, but stressed that land swaps are out of the table.
For his part EU’s Stano said that the political leaders of Kosovo and Serbia will be received by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell in Brussels on Monday. Stano has not replied to a question if the dialogue will discuss the question of the recognition of Kosovo by Serbia.
“We are facilitators and not commentators of the dialogue,” Stano said on the dialogue which resumed on July 16 this year after it was suspended in 2018.
