Stano: We view the call for reintegration of Serbs into Kosovo institutions positively

European Union Spokesperson Peter Stano welcomed the parts of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's address related to the return of Kosovo Serbs to Kosovo's institutions.

"We welcome President Vucic's expressed willingness to continue participating in the EU-facilitated dialogue. We view positively the call for Kosovo Serbs to participate in the elections in Kosovo and to reintegrate into all Kosovo institutions they left in 2022," Stano said in a written response to Radio Free Europe.

He reminded that the EU has consistently called on Belgrade to encourage, and on Pristina to facilitate, the reintegration of Kosovo Serbs.

In his address on September 13, Vucic called for local elections in northern Kosovo, the return of Serbs to the police and judiciary, and the withdrawal of special police forces from northern Kosovo.

According to Serbia's stance, fulfilling these demands is a prerequisite for progress in the Brussels-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

'Inflammatory rhetoric endangers security'

Stano warned that inflammatory rhetoric and unilateral actions are contrary to the dialogue.

"They threaten the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and the safety of citizens," Stano said.

He reiterated the EU's call for de-escalation of the situation and for the full and immediate implementation of agreements. He urged both sides to reaffirm constructive engagement in the normalization process.

"The dialogue agreements outline steps and procedures for this to happen, particularly in line with Kosovo's legal framework. In this context, the implementation of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities is crucial," Stano stated.

He confirmed the EU's intention to hold a round of dialogue at the chief negotiators' level on Tuesday, September 17, but it remains uncertain whether a joint meeting will occur.

According to information from Radio Free Europe (RFE), negotiators Petar Petkovic from Belgrade and Besnik Bislimi from Pristina have confirmed their attendance in Brussels on Tuesday. However, there is unofficial confirmation that they will hold separate talks with EU Envoy for Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

Sources from Brussels note that both sides attempted to dictate the agenda for the trilateral meeting, that they did not agree with the other side's demands, and that they ignored the initial European proposal for the discussions.