Lajcak: Agreement reached on Brussels meeting; Ohrid Agreement legally binding

The EU envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, after a meeting with Kosovo's Deputy Prime Minister and chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi, stated that they had discussed the unblocking of the implementation of agreements, the bridge over the Ibar River, and the date for the next meeting of the chief negotiators in Brussels.

"I am here in Pristina at Bislimi's invitation, as part of preparations for the upcoming meeting of the chief negotiators in Brussels in the coming days. We discussed the details of the agenda for the meeting and the issues that need attention. Also, it is very important to address how to unblock the implementation of the previously reached normalization agreement. I had a very important conversation about that. We also discussed the progress made since the last chief negotiators' meeting," Lajcak said.

He reiterated his position that the bridge over the Ibar should be opened, but in coordination with Kosovo's international partners.

"We also discussed the opening of the Ibar Bridge for traffic. I'll repeat my position: the bridge should be opened, but it should be done in cooperation with Kosovo's international partners," he added.

When asked about the blockade of crossings with Kosovo, scheduled for 6 PM today, Lajcak said he had seen the announcements, but hopes there will be no blockade, as it would negatively affect freedom of movement.

In response to a question about whether he has information that Serbia will withdraw from the Ohrid Agreement, Lajcak said that the agreement is legally binding for both sides.

"The Ohrid Agreement is legally binding, and we are working on its implementation. Neither side has withdrawn, and we are in talks with both Serbia and Kosovo to speed up the implementation," Lajcak said.

He noted that Serbia had withdrawn its December 2023 letter in which it had expressed its refusal to implement parts of the Ohrid Agreement that threatened Serbia's national interests.

"The letter has been withdrawn. There were some statements that were unhelpful, but the agreement is fully valid in its entirety, and more than that... It is a part of both Kosovo's and Serbia's European path, so it holds double importance," Lajcak added.

When asked about the date of the Kosovo-Serbia negotiators' meeting in Brussels, Lajcak said that an agreement had been reached but that it was not yet time to announce it.

"We discussed it, we have an agreement, but we are not ready to announce it yet," Lajcak concluded.