Pence reaffirmed US support "for a sovereign, democratic, and prosperous Kosovo"

The White House says U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has encouraged Kosovo to ratify a border-demarcation deal with Montenegro, RFE/RL reports.

Pence met with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci in Washington on September 29, two days after Kosovo's new prime minister said that there is no deadline for resolving the border standoff, which the European Union insists Pristina must approve before its citizens can travel visa-free within the Schengen zone.

In addition to calling for a resolution to this "long-standing issue," Pence reaffirmed U.S. support "for a sovereign, democratic, and prosperous Kosovo," the White House said in a statement.

It added that Pence expressed appreciation for efforts by Thaci and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to advance normalization between Belgrade and Pristina under an EU-facilitated dialogue.

Kosovo declared independence from...