Hill: The Community of Serb-majority municipalities must be formed, 10 years is too long

The US Ambassador to Serbia, Christopher Hill, said that it was important that everyone agreed that the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities had to be formed, especially because it had been stipulated in the agreement from 10 years ago, which he assessed as a very long period, RTV reports.

At the panel "The Future of the EU and the Western Balkans" at the Kopaonik Business Forum, Hill said that agreements had to be respected and that this was a test for the authorities in Pristina to understand what had to be done to meet European standards.

"The second reason is that you don't have to be a historian or an anthropologist to know that the Serbs have lived in Kosovo for centuries and have the right to decide their future. It is a test for the authorities in Pristina to understand what must be done to meet European standards. It is very important that the government in Belgrade helps the Serbs to be successful as a community. I am optimistic that this can happen," Hill said, Tanjug reports.

He added that he had attended a panel on Kopaonik dedicated to the late Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic and said that among the participants he had seen great sadness in all those who had talked about him.

"We heard in the documentary what he had said about aspirations towards the EU. We have to move forward, the past is the past. We should not only discuss problems but also opportunities," the American ambassador said.

He assessed that the EU was the best thing that had happened to Europe in the last few centuries.

"There are difficulties, but we need to focus on the goal. The EU is responsible for solving problems outside the EU as well. We often get tired of talking about bureaucracy, but everyone in Europe should strive for membership," he added.
According to him, Serbia will become a member sooner or later, as soon as it fulfills all the requirements.

He noted that the chapters and clusters were difficult to understand, but also that things had to happen, and that the rule of law was an absolute condition for that.

"Strong institutions - show me strong institutions and you will have less corruption and vice versa. Ultimately, Serbia must have strong policies and resolve the issue of Kosovo, which is very difficult," Hill said.