Kosovo Approved a New Government Promising to Reach an Agreement with Serbia

Agreement with Serbia is a precondition for Kosovo to join EU and UN The Kosovo parliament on Wednesday approved a new government, led by Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, who promises to reach an agreement on normalizing relations with Serbia, which will allow the country to gain membership in the UN. The new Hoti government, representing the center-right Democratic League of Kosovo, was supported by 61 deputies out of 120. “The final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia will be based on mutual recognition between the two states,” Hoti told speaking before members of the parliament. “We will not allow any changes in borders or exchange of territories.” Hoti promised to remove all trade barriers to goods from Serbia, as called for by the United States and the European Union. This will allow resuming dialogue through the Brussels mediation which was suspended in 2018. Serbia and its traditional ally, Russia, are blocking Kosovo’s membership in international organizations, including the UN. A mutual recognition agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is a condition for Kosovo to join the EU. Hoti served as deputy prime minister in the previous government of Albin Kurti, who was toppled in a no-confidence vote in March after disputes over his response to the coronavirus pandemic and the removal of duties on Serbian goods.