Ambassador Hill: Recognition Not on the Table in Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue but Normalization of Relations

U. S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said on Dec. 8 that European officials were insisting on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, not mutual recognition, which, he said, was not on the negotiating table.

“First, what is on the table is not recognition, of course. Normalization is. I, too, believe that the situation needs to be normalized. People in the north of Kosovo must wake up in the morning knowing what their life will look like. There must be a possibility for people to travel wherever they want to. There must be some understanding for all of these issues,” Hill said in an interview with EuroNews Serbia.

When asked about messages from Europe's leading states Germany, France and Italy, whose leaders had asked Belgrade to effectively recognize Kosovo’s independence, Hill said that “one should definitely choose their words," and that the U.S. interpreted this as a request for normalizing relations.

“What I want to say is that both sides are familiar with what’s on the table. Serbia has effectively accepted what’s on it. There is an understanding for moving forward, which is based on these agreements. Honestly, I believe considerable progress has been made, but this matter needs to be settled once and for all – this is in the best interest of Serbia and Kosovo,” Hill said.