US interested in "only one solution for Kosovo, in 2019"

An unnamed senior US official told this to Koha Ditore, the Pristina-based Albanian language newspaper is reporting on Tuesday.

On condition that neither their name nor position in the US administration is mentioned, this senior official said that Washington supports the possibility for the two sides to reach an agreement that will secure "mutual recognition - including in case that it envisages border corrections or a land swap."

According to this source, "this is a question that concerns the Serbian and Kosovo sides, and should be a part of a wider agreement, which also deals with many other issues."

The official is further quoted as saying that the US will need to review that agreement "to ensure that it does not contradict US values and interests, which means that not any agreement is acceptable to the US."

Regarding the timing of the deal, the US administration "has no deadline, but believes that 2019 is the year for a historic agreement between Kosovo and Serbia."

According to the US official, "the spring is not a deadline nor is it significant if an agreement is reached in April, September, or December."

"The US administration believes that an agreement with Serbia would open Kosovo's path to membership in the UN and in the EU, although that also depends on other foreign factors," said the unnamed US official.