During this week, pressure on Kosovo to establish the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities has further increased. The Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, James O’Brien, and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, urged Kosovo to urgently progress towards the establishment of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities. O’Brien held a meeting with Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Germany, where he assured that the United States supports Kosovo’s path towards Euro-Atlantic integrations, but Kosovo must implement the commitments arising from the dialogue for the normalization of relations with Serbia.

“The U.S. supports Kosovo’s path towards Euro-Atlantic integrations. To move forward, we need the implementation of the commitments of the dialogue mediated by the EU, including urgent progress regarding the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities,” wrote O’Brien on Platform X, adding that he discussed the necessary positive steps with Prime Minister Kurti.

Before meeting Prime Minister Kurti, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, James O’Brien, was in Belgrade where he met with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and from there stated that “the United States will do everything possible to ensure Kosovo fulfills its commitment to establish the Association.”

Two days ago, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti had a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. The latter also insisted on his request. “I emphasized the importance of rapid and irreversible progress by the authorities of Kosovo towards the establishment of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities as part of its efforts for accession to the Council of Europe,” Macron wrote on Platform X.

Prime Minister Kurti, through a statement, “expressed his belief that France will continue to support Kosovo’s accession to the Council of Europe, without additional conditions, in line with the opinion of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the historic vote of April 16.” Kurti stated in his office’s statement that he “stands firm on respecting and fully implementing the agreement reached last year” for the normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations.

/k.s/