Chollet: Campaign for Derecognition of Kosovo Impeding Dialog

Counselor of the United States Department of State Derek Chollet (Photo: Wikipedia/U.S. State Department)

Derek Chollet, an adviser at the U.S. Department of State, said on Jan. 6 that the U.S. considered Belgrade's campaign for the derecognition of Kosovo a distraction and that this was not in the spirit of finding a way to move forward.

Chollet, slated to visit Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia this week, told the Voice of America in an interview that such a campaign was not in line with the European Union's proposal on the dialogue that the two sides were leading. That doesn't bring us closer to the achievement of the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of both countries, that their leaders say they want. We want to focus on that, not on distractions like this, the U.S. official added.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told an annual news conference last week that nine states had withdrawn their recognition of Kosovo as independent.

Speaking on expectations from his visit to the Western Balkans, Chollet said the present moment was very important for the region, especially Belgrade-Pristina relations. He said recent weeks had seen an increase in tensions between the two sides, but stressed that it was good news that the barricades in northern Kosovo had been removed and administrative line crossings had reopened.