Stoltenberg: Meeting at White House First Step Toward Possible Deal Between Belgrade, Pristina

Stoltenberg (Foto AP)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the upcoming meeting of the presidents of Kosovo and Serbia, Hashim Thaci and Aleksandar Vucic respectively, at the White House, is the first real step toward a possible agreement.

Maybe this time Vucic and Thaci will be focused on finding a final joint political solution, Stoltenberg said in a written reply to Voice of America late on June 23.

He recalled NATO's long-time engagement in the Western Balkans, from stopping two wars - in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, to the current KFOR mission which has been going on for two decades now. He also pointed out that Serbia was a partner to NATO, too.

The EU's absence from the talks in Washington is not a problem for NATO. The Alliance supports the dialogue organized by the Union, along with all other efforts aimed at bringing Belgrade's and Pristina's positions closer, said Stoltenberg, adding that he was confident the U.S. and the EU knew how to coordinate their efforts in that field.

He also said that no one had the right to dictate a solution and that only Belgrade and Pristina could produce the outcome they wanted.