Escobar on the meeting in Ohrid: We will have results, but probably not a final agreement

The American envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, expressed optimism regarding the results of tomorrow's meeting in Ohrid, but also reservations about reaching a final agreement, Reporteri reports.

"We will have results, but I want to emphasize that we probably won't have a final agreement. We will work on the completion of the Annex, but I expect great progress," said Escobar.

He emphasized that tomorrow in Ohrid, the focus will be on negotiating the annex to the implementation of the agreement reached in Brussels.

"I absolutely think it's a matter of realism. So, the two parties agreed to the Basic Agreement, those initial 11 points that were accepted without any conditions or changes, and now the topic is the Annex on implementation. Therefore, all the points will be included in the implementation annex, but the only question remains is how to formulate them so that they become achievable," Escobar said.

From the meetings he held first in Belgrade, and then in Kosovo, with the leaders of the government and the opposition, Escobar said that he saw that both sides understood the importance of tomorrow's meeting.

"In both states, in both capitals, I had a series of meetings not only with the leaders of the government, but also with the leaders of the opposition, as well as with other important figures. What I can conclude from everything is that both sides understand the importance of tomorrow's meeting. Both sides understand that this potential deal could unlock many opportunities. So I'm a bit optimistic," Escobar said.