The President of the European Commission called on Kosovo and Serbia to resume the EU-facilitated dialogue to resolve tensions over licence plates on Wednesday 29 September from Pristina.
“ It is important to de-escalate and to return to the negotiating table to find a sustainable solution. And the only way to do that is the EU-facilitated Dialogue. That is the only platform to resolve the current crisis”, she explained at a press conference with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti. The President added that cooperation was the only way forward.
According to Mrs von der Leyen, it is not just a question of number plates, but of how the countries in the region will move forward and be able to move together towards greater integration and EU values.
“I know what it means to overcome differences. [...] I come from a country that brought the Second World War to the world and is responsible for the Holocaust”, added Mrs von der Leyen.
The Prime Minister said he was ready to accept a new solution, which is inclusive, comprehensive, and reciprocal.
In parallel to the meeting, Serbian and Kosovar negotiators were in Brussels for talks with the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajčák.
Furthermore, the President of the European Commission explained that she wanted “a future where Kosovo and all the Western Balkans are part of the EU”. Mr Kurti confirmed that his country’s destiny was in the EU and that Kosovo belonged to one continent, Europe. Kosovo is the last country in the region not to have applied for EU candidate status and is still waiting for visa liberalisation for its citizens.
Mrs von der Leyen also called on the country to continue its reform efforts. “It is also crucial that Kosovo continue to consolidate the work on the fight against corruption and organised crime”, she stressed, adding that she fully supports the country’s commitment to judicial reform, which must be carried out in full compliance with international and European standards.
Montenegro. In Montenegro, where she visited after Kosovo, Mrs von der Leyen called for progress in terms of the rule of law and on the road to the EU. “We trust the political forces and society to find the necessary consensus to overcome divisions and preserve Montenegro as a multi-ethnic and tolerant country as it is well known”, she explained at a press conference with Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović. The President called for compromise and the protection of minorities (see EUROPE 12784/21). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)