European Commission Supports Dialogue-Based Solutions for Problems in Kosovo

Peter Stano (Photo: print screen/youtube)

A European Commission (EC) official, Peter Stano, said on Sept. 20 that both Pristina and Belgrade should refrain from unilateral moves and, using the framework of EU-mediated dialogue between them, solve the problem created after the authorities in Pristina had decided to confiscate Serbian registration plates in the north of Kosovo.

The EU expects Kosovo and Serbia to work on reconciliation, leading to regional cooperation and stability and a legally binding agreement between the two sides to normalize their relations, said a spokesman for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

Stano called on both sides to "exercise restraint and refrain from unilateral actions," and to "immediately, without any delay use the EU-mediated dialogue to deal with the issues and resolve all open problems they might have, including those related to the freedom of movement and registration plates."

When asked why he had said that both sides had to refrain from unilateral moves, when it's clear that the authorities in Pristina broke the Brussels agreement, based on EU guarantees, Stano said that it happened before that one side accused the other of breaking the agreement, and that therefore the only good solution was to resolve the dispute through the dialogue.