Serbia-Kosovo talks entered the eleventh-hour, and the US State Department is following the situation very closely.
Last week, the Deputy Assistant Secretary Gabriel Escobar had discussions in Pristina and Belgrade that made “no results yet.” Over the weekend, Miroslav Lajcak continued to work on behalf of the EU to find a solution for the license plates and energy issues.
Asked by The Pavlovic Today on Monday about Secretary Blinken’s message to Pristina and Belgrade, given that the October 31st deadline is fast approaching for brokering the deal on license plates, State Department spokesman Ned Price reaffirmed American support for Serbia-Kosovo talks.
“Our message on this has been consistent. We fully support the EU-facilitated dialogue,” said Price. “That’s why DAS Escobar, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabe Escobar, was in Pristina and Belgrade to support this process. As you know, the Secretary himself has also been deeply engaged on this. He spoke with both Serbian President Vucic and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Kurti earlier this month, on October 11th, I believe it was. He underscored our support for the EU-facilitated Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. He urged continued constructive engagement to secure peace and stability across the region,” said Price.
As time ticks away for Pristina and Belgrade to bridge some significant differences, there is still hope that the agreement can be reached.
“We will continue to support that EU dialogue. We will continue to be a partner both to Kosovo and Serbia in the hope that they can resolve this dispute peacefully in the course of the coming days,” Price told The Pavlovic Today.
The most recent talks between Belgarde and Pristina saw an inescapable deadlock develop, and hope for mutually acceptable solutions wane. What everyone behind the scenes agrees on is that strong US involvement is what is needed.
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