The German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, and the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, called, in an op-ed published in Serbian and Kosovar newspapers on 23 May, for the resumption of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which has been suspended for months.
“Now that (the Special Representative for Dialogue), Miroslav Lajčak, has taken office, it is high time for the dialogue to restart”, the ministers said, adding that their countries stand ready to support him with all their “political, diplomatic and economic” potential.
“The goal should be to reach a sustainable, comprehensive, legally binding agreement between Belgrade and Pristina that solves all open issues and contributes to regional stability”, Maas and Le Drian said.
Recognising that many issues remain to be resolved in order to reach agreement, Ministers cautioned that there were no shortcuts or quick fixes. “A serious approach requires well-structured and thorough negotiations, with the EU as an honest broker”, they explained, adding that more robust mediation and political resolve were needed.
Mr Maas and Mr Le Drian also emphasised that, while the French President, Emmanuel Macron, had declared his readiness to organise a second summit after the Berlin summit in April 2019, readiness for dialogue would be a prerequisite for this.
See the statement: https://bit.ly/3c48DT8 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)