The US State Department emissary for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, will present this Tuesday (July 18) to the US Congress a report on the developments up to the present regarding the issue of Kosova-Serbia dialogue, and stability and security in the region.

He has sent a document to Congress on developments and the outlook. The report mainly contains the need to implement the Agreement on the Road to Normalization between the two countries, and the establishment of the Association of Municipalities with a Serb Majority.

The association for Escobar would empower municipalities with common interests, language and culture to coordinate common challenges in providing several public services, including education, health care and local economic development.

Let me start with the tense relations between Kosova and Serbia. In February and March, the EU with strong US support reached a breakthrough Agreement on the Road to Normalization of Relations and an implementing annex that provides a framework through which both countries meet their independent obligations. A key element is the fulfillment of Kosova’s obligation since 2013 to establish the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian majority. AKS will empower municipalities with common interests, language and culture to coordinate common challenges in the provision of several public services, including education, health care and local economic development. Furthermore, Kosova and Serbia agreed to recognize each other’s national documents and symbols. And, most importantly, in this agreement, Serbia will no longer lobby against Kosova’s membership in international organizations.

Since the parties reached these agreements, there have been serious provocations, escalated tensions and unacceptable violence by Serbian protesters against KFOR, police and journalists in northern Kosova. In response, NATO deployed elements of reserve forces to reinforce the mission; it maintains an extended presence in northern Kosova to ensure a peaceful and secure environment in accordance with its UN mandate. With the EU, we have called for immediate de-escalation, to include the holding of new municipal and mayoral elections in four municipalities in northern Kosova with the participation of ethnic Serbs and a refocus on the implementation of the agreement reached within the Dialogue facilitated by the EU. Together with our European partners, we remain engaged with Kosova and Serbia, calling on both parties to fulfill all their obligations, which are essential for continued progress on both their European paths,” states the document.

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