Serbia, Kosovo to continue normalization talks in Brussels on Monday

BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbia and Kosovo will continue the normalization talks under the auspices of the European Union on Monday in Brussels, said the European External Affairs Service (EEAS).

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti confirmed their participation, said a statement by EEAS.

The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, and the EU's special representative for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, will hold separate meetings with Vucic and Kurti, before having a joint meeting.

Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process

The EU requires Kosovo and Serbia to reach a final agreement and resolve disputes between them in order to progress in their integration with the bloc.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, with most UN member states including the US, the UK, France, Germany, and Türkiye recognizing it as a country separate from its neighbor. But Belgrade continues to regard it as its territory.

President Vucic said in October that Germany and France offered to expedite Serbia's EU membership process if it recognized Kosovo's independence and allowed it to become a member of international organizations.

According to the leaked proposal, Kosovo should for its part allow the establishment of a union of Serbian municipalities in the north, where many ethnic Serbs live.

EU officials hope to complete negotiations on the plan this spring, with Brussels having facilitated the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue.