The USA takes over the finalization of the Pristina-Belgrade agreement, Escobar in the role of "gendarme" in the Ohrid meeting between Kurt and Vucic for the signing of the "Franco-German" plan

The United States of America is entering the game to finalize an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia as soon as possible. For weeks, senior diplomats from Brussels and Washington have been making pilgrimages to their respective capitals, Belgrade and Pristina, to convince Serbia and Kosovo to accept the "Franco-German" plan. In both Western Balkan countries, Western envoys have threatened political and economic isolation if their latest initiative is rejected again, as has often happened in the past. This time, Serbia and Kosovo have nowhere to go, as the main "general" will be the USA itself. Washington's special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, will participate as an observer in the new round of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which will be held on March 18 in Ohrid, North Macedonia. "The United States fully supports the EU-facilitated dialogue. Escobar will travel to Ohrid in North Macedonia to support this process", the American Embassy in Skopje told REL. In the meeting between the prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the president of Serbia, Aleksandër Vucic, the European bloc expects the leaders to agree on the implementation plan of the European proposal for the normalization of relations.

The agreement in Ohrid and the role of the USA

Bilateral meetings are expected to start on Saturday morning. Prime Minister Kurti expressed his willingness to sign the European proposal during the Ohrid meeting, but Vu?i? expressed his opinion that it does not "come to his mind" to sign "Serbia's capitulation". The EU proposal aims to lead the parties to an agreement on the full normalization of relations. This proposal also has the support of the United States, which has argued that "there is no better agreement". Escobar, during a press conference in Belgrade on March 16, called on the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia to be constructive and flexible during the Ohrid meeting. "The European proposal for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is one of the best opportunities to move the region forward and create peaceful conditions for all people living in the region," said the American official. "Our expectations are that the two leaders will be able to listen to each other and that they will work to make this agreement a reality. To think about the obstacles, look for ways to overcome them and leave the meeting realizing that they will continue to work until the solution", he added.

Mesazhi i qartë i Escobarit

Nga ana tjetër, kryetari i Lëvizja e qytetarëve të Lirë në Serbi, Pavle Grboviç, ka thënë se gjatë takimit me Përfaqësuesin Special të Shteteve të Bashkuara të Amerikës, Gabriel Escobar, këtij të fundit i ka thënë se “Serbia duhet të jetë pjesë e hapësirës politike të krijuar nga SHBA-ja dhe BE-ja dhe për këtë ne mbështesim propozimin evropian për normalizimin e marrëdhënieve mes Kosovës dhe Serbisë”. Gërboviç shtoi se në takim nga Escobar morën garanci se “formimi i Asociacionit është prioritet absolut, si dhe se çështjet e sundimit të ligjit, lirisë së mediave dhe pavarësisë së institucioneve në Serbi nuk do të injorohen”. “Serbia ka një shans të madh që më në fund të dalë nga rrethi vicioz i humbjeve të vazhdueshme, izolimit politik dhe vetmisë dhe të ndërtojë një partneritet solid me vendet më të fuqishme dhe më të zhvilluara në botë”, tha ai.

Knowledge of Kosovo

The proposal, the text of which has been made public by the EU, consists of 11 articles. There is no mention of mutual recognition. However, Article 4 implies the recognition of Kosovo, as it states that the parties must respect each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The proposal includes the commitment of the parties to respect all the agreements reached so far in the dialogue for the normalization of relations, as well as their commitment not to hinder each other in the integration processes.