EU tells Serbia, Kosovo to sign deal or face consequences
The West has issued an ultimatum, warning Serbia and Kosovo to either agree to a plan to normalize bilateral relations, or to face repercussions from the European Union and the United States.
EU's Special Representative for Belgrade-Pristina Dialog Miroslav Lajcak said on Wednesday the two sides have been given until March to announce their decision. "There is a natural deadline or timetable because by March we will know whether we are progressing or not and if we are not progressing we will know why we are not progressing, who is responsible for that."
He warned that if either country rejected the deal, they would suffer a drop in political and economic support, as well as a reduction in new investments by the West. "We are all part of the wider international community and it is really important whether you are seen as a part of the solution or part of the problem, because this is then how you are treated by the international community."
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, following a decade of fighting. Since then, there have been continuous tensions between the two sides despite EU mediation. However, both sides want to be part of the EU bloc and Brussels has set peace between them as a precondition for their membership.
Last week, envoys from the EU, Germany, France, Italy, and the US met leaders of both countries to try to convince them to sign a deal meant to defuse the long-lasting dispute. Under the 11-point plan, Serbia would not be required to officially recognize the independence of its former province. But it would have to stop lobbying against Kosovo's membership in international bodies. The two countries would also have to open representative offices in each other's capitals and work on resolving differences.
The West has been opposed to an escalation of tensions between Serbia and its former province, fearing that frequent strife between minority Serbs in north Kosovo and the majority ethnic-Albanian government of Pristina could lead to a wider conflict.
The US and the EU have been supporters of Kosovo's independence. However, Pristina has been denied a seat at the United Nations due to the objections raised by Serbia and supported by its main ally Russia.
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