Western Envoys Feel ‘Encouraged’ by Kosovo, Serbia Visits

The European Union special representative for the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, told media in Belgrade on Friday that he and his EU and US colleagues felt "encouraged" after meeting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. 

Lajcak met Vucic after previously meeting Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Pristina together with the US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, advisors to the President of France and Chancellor of Germany Emmanuel Bonne and Jens Plottner, and adviser to the Prime Minister of Italy Francesco Talo.

Meetings focused mostly on the so-called Franco-German proposal for future relations between Serbia and its former province. Lajcak said talks with Vucic were "very intense, tough but frank and open". 

"President Vucic demonstrated a responsible approach and a willingness to take difficult decisions in the interest of peace and European perspective of Serbia," Lajcak said in Belgrade. 

He added: "For us the overdue implementation of the Association or Community of Serbian Majority Municipalities is a crucial element for stability and we remain convinced that a plan we presented in September and we discussed today is the best way for normalization of relation between Serbia and Kosovo".

Vucic said after the meeting that he was "unequivocally faced with the problems and challenges that would be put before Serbia if we do not agree with the proposed plan", without specifying its exact details.

He said he had asked the visitors "to help all of us overcome the turbulence we are facing in Kosovo and Metohija, and we believe that it is time to form the Association of Serbian municipalities, which was not only promised but also signed 10 years ago, and is a matter of urgency, because...