Balkans
EU: Serbia and Kosovo settle dispute over entry rules
“We congratulate both leaders for this decision”: Josep Borrell. photo
© Alexandros Michailidis/European Council/dpa
“We have a deal”: The EU has been trying for years to help clarify the relationship between the two sides. Now Serbia and Kosovo have reached an agreement in the dispute over entry regulations.
According to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the two Balkan neighbors Serbia and Kosovo settled their dispute over entry regulations shortly before the end of a new deadline.
“We have a deal,” reported Borrell in the short message service Twitter. Serbia has agreed to allow holders of Kosovo identity papers to enter the country without any additional documents. In return, Kosovo dropped plans to make it more difficult for Serbian citizens to enter the country in the near future.
Borrell spoke of a “European solution”. The Spanish politician continued: “We congratulate both leaders (Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti) for this decision.” Serbian Prime Minister Kurti also responded shortly afterwards on Twitter: “Reciprocity should be the spirit of fundamental solutions.” At first there was no reaction from Vucic.
The controversial entry rules for Serbs into Kosovo were due to come into force on Thursday, September 1st. Originally, they should have been in effect since August 1st. However, under pressure from the US and the EU, the plans were postponed by a month. The goal of the Kosovar government was to treat Serbs crossing the border in the same way as Kosovars were treated by Serbia. Serbia has refused to recognize the declaration of independence of its former province of Kosovo for almost a decade and a half.