In a speech to the EU ambassadors to third countries, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has said she is confident of an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo in 2019.
"I believe there is a real chance that Presidents [Aleksandar] Vučić [of Serbia] and [Hashim] Thaçi [of Kosovo] can reach an agreement that addresses all open issues between Belgrade and Pristina", Mogherini said, calling on the international community to support the discussions. "I believe we must do all we can together with our partners in Europe, in the region, in the international scene starting from the UN Security Council, to support the negotiations through the dialogue and within the international community", she said.
Mentioning the agreement between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), and the preparations towards the opening of accession negotiations with FYROM and with Albania, expected for June 2019, Mogherini said that "this year is the year" for the region.
She added that "in the Balkans, it is today very clear that the European Union is the point of reference". And in the face of the increasing presence of other powers in the region, she stated that "whenever we are present in the region, there is no space for others". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)