Scholz, Macron, Meloni: Belgrade to Deliver de Facto Recognition of Kosovo, Pristina to Establish Community of Serb Municipalities

BETAPHOTO/European Council/Dario Pignatell

The leaders of Germany, France and Italy urged Belgrade on Oct. 27 to effectively recognize Kosovo’s independence and Pristina to launch procedure to establish a community of majority Serb municipalities warning that if not the two parties “risk losing very important opportunities.”

In a joint statement posted on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s website, the three leaders prompted the authorities in Serbia and Kosovo to do this in order to secure “swift progress” in implementing the Agreement on the path to normalization between Kosovo and Serbia reached in Brussels on Feb. 27.

“In order to make swift progress in implementation, we call on Kosovo to launch procedure to establish an Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities in Kosovo as prescribed in the draft Statute, and Serbia to deliver a de-facto recognition. Formalities, including those pertaining to adoption, should not stand in the way of progress on this issue”, the leaders of the three most powerful European states said in the statement.

The German chancellor, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that “the implementation phase should progress with both Parties delivering on their respective obligations in parallel, step-by-step, based on the principle that both parties need to do something to get something.” “We now expect Kosovo and Serbia to swiftly agree on the details of the EU-facilitated Dialogue. Unless there is progress in normalizing relations, both parties risk losing important opportunities,” the leaders stated.