(THE PAVLOVIC TODAY)—Despite Secretary Blinken’s effort to engage Kosovo’s Prime Minister Kurti last week and urge him to extend the license plates pre-registration deadline, he refused to do so.
Speaking to The Pavlovic Today on Monday about what will the Biden administration do if PM Kurti continues to say no to Secretary Blinken and the United States and, ultimately, the EU, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the Biden administration’s message to Kurti is clear.
“Our efforts are ongoing,” Ned Price revealed. “You know that we released a statement last week to make very clear our belief and the belief of our international partners that the government of Kosovo needs to extend the implementation period,” Price told The Pavlovic Today.
The United States believes Kosovo has the right to implement these changes under The Brussels Agreement, a fact which the Serbian government disputes under the signed agreement.
“We’re disappointed. We’re concerned that the government of Kosovo has rejected the requests and advice of its closest international partners on implementation,” Ned Price told The Pavlovic Today.
“We encourage Kosovo and Serbia to continue to engage in the EU-facilitated dialogue. We will remain in close touch with our partners in the region. We will remain in close touch with the EU that is facilitating this dialogue,” added Price.
The Kosovo government announced that starting tomorrow, November 1, Kosovo police will begin issuing police warnings to Serbs to preregister their license plates. Then, from November 21, they will start to give EUR 150 fines to all Serbs who refuse to comply.
The Pavlovic Today asked if Secretary Blinken agrees with Prime Minister Kurti’s step to fine the Serbian population in Kosovo and, if not, what would the Biden administration suggest as the best way to resolve this dispute.
“We’ve been clear in public and in private that the international community, including the United States, seeks a full delay in the implementation of these matters. We don’t see a partial delay. We don’t see phased implementation. The international community has asked the government of Kosovo for a full delay in implementation,” revealed Ned Price.
SERBIA-KOSOVO TALKS
Clear Message From State Department: US Stance On Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Including The Association Of Serb Majority Municipalities “Has Not Changed”
The United States’ stance on the EU-led Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina “has not changed,” according to a State Department spokesperson speaking to The Pavlovic Today. The clarification from the State Department follows remarks made on camera earlier this week by the US Ambassador to Serbia, Christopher Hill. He suggested that the formation of the…
Keep reading
State Department’s Message To Kosovo And Serbia: Constructive Engagement And Concrete Progress Expected In The Coming Days
In a significant diplomatic development, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and Special Representative to the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, is on a crucial mission to the Balkan region this weekend. Notably, he is accompanying the EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak, along with a contingent of senior national security officials…
Keep reading
Petar Petković: Kosovo Needs De-Escalation And Dialogue, Not Conflict
In a high-level gathering convened today in Brussels, Petar Petković, the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Belgrade’s chief negotiator in the EU-led dialogue with Pristina, delivered a comprehensive address to ambassadors, representatives from EU member states, and officials from the European Commission and the European External Action Service. The central focus of this…
Keep reading