EU Supports Holding of International Conference on Belgrade-Pristina Relations

European Union (Shutterstock)

The European Union supports the holding of a special conference about relations between Kosovo and Serbia, with the participation of representatives of Belgrade, Pristina, EU member stated and the U.S., the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, announced in Brussels on June 29.

On arriving to the two-day EU summit, Michel said that the EU supported the idea “for a conference to be held in the shortest possible time with the participation of the Union member states, in order to help the efforts in the two sides’ dialogue.” “We see that certain problems in the recent months have led to the fueling of tensions and I think the time has come for a global approach to the problem and clear steps towards normalization of relations,” Michel stated.

The idea about the holding of the conference was presented this week by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, which he put forward after meeting with Josep Borrell, the European official in charge of foreign affairs.

NATO  General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, who arrived to the summit together with Michel, stated that the situation in Kosovo reiterated the importance of cooperation between the Union and the Alliance. “NATO is strongly supporting the European Union’s efforts in the (Belgrade-Pristina) dialogue. We have increased the presence of our forces on the ground and we are urging all sides to de-escalate, to refrain from moves that cat lead to a further increase of tension, and engage in good faith in the EU-facilitated dialogue,” Stoltenberg stated.