The envoy of the European Union, Miroslav Lajcak said that the EU and the US have close cooperation and this joint visit is proof of that. He said that both sides want Kosovo and Serbia to leave the past behind and normalize relations.

“We see dialogue as a key priority in the Western Balkans and we believe that the normalization of relations will not only resolve unresolved issues, but will contribute to stability in the region but will bring benefits to citizens. It will create jobs, it will develop the economy. The past two days have been very productive. We have made it clear that we respect Kosovo’s principles in dialogue. We also said that we expected faster progress in the dialogue last year but we hope it will be so this year,” he said.

He added that they have all the elements to expect a faster dialogue. According to him, dialogue is not an issue of the Government but is vital for Kosovo. Lajçak said that civil society can also play a very important role.

On the other hand, the US Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar said that this administration, together with the previous US, strongly supports the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo. He said that how Kosovo and Serbia will reach a period of normalization should be left to dialogue. Escobar has expressed optimism about the Kosovo-Serbia agreement.

“I think that in this role as a special representative it is important to make the first visit to Kosovo with him to show unity, commitment to dialogue, to a brighter future as for Serbia and Kosovo. We met with the leaders during the visit, we had very productive meetings. At the end of this process we hope that the result will be a solution that will be good for both. I am confident that the way things look to me and the commitment of our partners together with the support of the Americans, we will achieve this process,” he said.

/Klara Ruci/