Serbian and Kosovar leaders decided on Monday 29 April in Berlin to continue their Dialogue, which is currently suspended due to the imposition of Kosovar customs duties on Serbian and Bosnian products.
Belgrade and Pristina “have agreed to continue their efforts to implement existing agreements and to participate constructively in the EU-facilitated standardisation dialogue with a view to reaching a comprehensive and final agreement”, announce the conclusions of the Berlin Summit.
They received the support of the other summit participants – France, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia, the EU, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina – in their approach. The latter highlight “the importance of a final and legally binding agreement on the full normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina for stability in the region”, an agreement that should be “both comprehensive and politically sustainable and contribute to stability in the region”. “Such an agreement is essential on the road from Serbia and Kosovo to Europe”, warn the participants. In their view, the negotiation process to reach such an agreement must be “inclusive and transparent” and be accompanied by confidence-building measures.
Making the region more integrated
The conclusions underline “the common European perspective of the Western Balkan countries”, without explicitly mentioning EU membership.
The summit conclusions place particular emphasis on the integration of the Western Balkans region. Participants agreed to intensify their efforts to create a regional economic space (see EUROPE 12022/2, 12060/3) and confirmed their commitment to cooperation in the Berlin process, looking forward to the next summit in Poznań, Poland, in early July. “Connectivity, economic cooperation, free trade, security cooperation, youth exchanges and reconciliation are central elements of the process”, they said.
In terms of security, participants want to strengthen their cooperation on the prevention of radicalisation and the fight against terrorism, the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and illegal immigration.
Participants also stressed that sustainable reforms were essential for the European perspective of the region and to strengthen the resilience of societies to internal and external challenges. Their “unwavering commitment to democracy, including the central role of elections and parliamentary institutions, the rule of law and good governance, the fight against corruption and organised crime and the strengthening of the role of civil society and independent media” is highlighted in the conclusions, as is their commitment to the stability of the region.
Beyond the EU summit in the Western Balkans, scheduled under the Croatian Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2020, Kosovar President Hashim Thaçi announced the new Franco-German summit on the Balkans in July in Paris. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)