EU: European proposal acceptance would mean automatic CSM acceptance

If Belgrade and Pristina accept the European proposal for the normalization of the relations during the talks in Brussels on Monday, it will mean that the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities formation is automatically accepted, an unnamed high official of the European Union said today, as reported by Tanjug.

According to an EU official who asked not to be named, the EU decided to organize the meeting in Brussels as part of the high-level dialogue because signals were coming from Belgrade and Pristina that both sides would support the EU proposal, which was said several times in talks with the international community representatives.

That brings optimism that the European proposal could be accepted on Monday, the EU representative told reporters in Brussels.

The official says that the proposal's content will not be discussed on Monday, but only its implementation, which is dealt with separately in the annex. That implementation would last several months and would be under the EU monitoring, which will establish a mechanism for it.

The European proposal is comprehensive and leads to a "comprehensive legally binding agreement on the normalization of relations between the two parties," the EU official said.

He also adds that accepting the European proposal is good for the entire region, that it will enable more investments and increase financial aid, as well as lead to more stability and predictability.

The European Union believes that the time of escalation should be left in the past and that the last year's crisis must be ended.

The High Representative of the EU, Josep Borrell, called for a high-level meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Brussels on Monday, February 27, and the participation was confirmed by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, with the support of EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak, will hold separate meetings with Vucic and Kurti, starting at 3 p.m., which will be followed by a joint meeting, as reported by the EU Foreign Affairs Service.

The meeting's topic is the EU proposal for the normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations. The EU announced that Borrell would hold a press conference at the end of the meeting.