The senior adviser of the US Department of State, Derek Chollet, congratulated the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, on the agreement reached in Ohrid between Kosovo and Serbia – during a telephone conversation on Thursday.

This is stated in the announcement of the Prime Minister’s Office. They “talked about the high-level political meeting” between Kurt and the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic, and this congratulation comes “after long and difficult negotiations”.

On February 27, Kosovo and Serbia agreed on the Agreement towards normalization, otherwise known as the European proposal. Meanwhile, on March 18, the parties agreed on the Annex for the implementation of this agreement.

The European Union and the United States have said that despite the fact that this agreement was not signed by the parties, they consider it binding.

The agreement with 11 articles does not oblige Serbia to recognize Kosovo, but requires both countries to accept each other’s documents and symbols, including: passports, diplomas and license plates.

It also asks the parties to implement all the agreements reached so far in the dialogue for the normalization of relations, including the one for the formation of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority in Kosovo, which the Government in Prishtina has rejected until now, on the grounds that it could endanger the functionality of the state.

Earlier in the day, the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said that if the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is implemented, this would pave the way for the recognition of Kosovo by the five countries of the European Union that have not recognized it.

Even the high representative of the EU for Foreign Policy and Security, Josep Borrell, said that they will monitor “carefully who implements the agreement and who does not”.

Many EU countries have welcomed the agreement reached in Ohrid, and have requested that the focus now be directed towards implementation. Diplomatic sources in Brussels have said that some countries have called for “increased care” on the part of the EU in order to ensure the full implementation of all points of the agreement and not to allow deviation from the obligations for either party.

/a.p/