Abazovic: I would like Montenegro to be the host if there are new rounds of Serbia-Kosovo negotiations

Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic says that Montenegro is ready to contribute and support the process of normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, adding that if there are new rounds of negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia, he would like Montenegro to host them, Pavlovic Today reports.

When asked how Montenegro could contribute to the process of normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo, Abazovic said that Montenegro played a role in reconciliation in the region, that it had excellent relations with all neighboring countries, and that it was willing to help in any way, including with logistical support.
 
"Personally, I would like to expand my offer if there are new rounds of negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia to host them in Montenegro," Abazovic revealed for Pavlovic Today.
 
He stated that Montenegro was not part of the dialogue, but that he personally believed that the European proposal represented a good solution that would benefit both Serbia and Kosovo.
 
"That is the path the region should take. The path of normalization is the right one for the region as a first step, and finally, when all criteria are met, entry into the European Union as the final goal for the entire region," the Montenegrin Prime Minister said.
 
He believes that the most important thing is to implement the agreement and adds that, for that to happen, both sides must stick to what they agreed to.
 
"I am not a supporter of the idea in which the parties sign something without monitoring its implementation. That did not work well in the past. The most important thing is that what they agree on is put into practice," Abazovic said.
 
He pointed out that it was necessary that both Serbia and Kosovo respect the special provisions of the annex on implementation, including those that Serbia does not block Kosovo's admission to international organizations and that Kosovo forms the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities.
 
Given that he recently met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Abazovic says that the Albanian Prime Minister supports the agreement but notes that neither Rama nor he are parties in the dialogue.
 
He emphasized the importance of making difficult decisions in order to "liberate the region from the status quo" and stressed that getting out of the comfort zone and creating a lasting impact required the ability to make difficult choices.
 
Abazovic called on Albin Kurti and Aleksandar Vucic to make progress in the implementation of the agreement.
 
"My message to Kurti and Vucic, and I say this in good faith as a friend, is to make difficult decisions. Put an end to it and move forward. In Montenegro, we did it with the Basic Agreement. Later, it turned out that those difficult decisions that other people often did not want to make were not so difficult," Abazovic said.