Kosovo President Refused Participating in Negotiations with Serbia Mediated by EU Special Representative

Hashim Thaçi said that only the United States can promote dialogue Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi said he would not participate in negotiations to normalize relations with Serbia through the mediation of the EU’s special representative and called instead US for a more active role in the dialogue. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, almost ten years after the ethnic Albanian majority rebellion and in 2013 agreed to hold a dialogue with Belgrade through EU mediation to resolve pressing issues. Normalization is one of the key conditions for Kosovo to join the EU together with lifting the Russian veto on Kosovo’s admission to the UN. In March, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, appointed Slovak diplomat Miroslav Lajčák to the post of Special Representative for Kosovo. Slovakia is one of five countries that still have not recognized the Kosovo’s independence. This position also hold Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Spain. “We will face two negotiators from countries that do not recognize Kosovo’s independence,” Thaçi told reporters in Pristina, referring to Lajčák and Borrell, who served as Spanish Foreign Minister in the past. Thaçi added that he was ready to participate in any meetings organized by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. “But I am not inclined to participate in the negotiation process under the leadership of Lajčák,” he stressed. According to Thaçi, only the US can really advance the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. More than 110 countries recognized Kosovo’s statehood, including its largest political and financial ally the United States. President Donald Trump has appointed Richard Grenell, who previously served as US ambassador to Germany as representative for Kosovo. With the mediation of Grenell was reached the agreement on direct commercial flights between Kosovo and Serbia resumption.