European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged Kosovo and Serbia to move forward with the normalization process after holding separate talks with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in New York.

Meeting the two leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Kallas stressed that progress in the dialogue and progress toward European Union membership must advance together.

“Progress in normalization and on the road to the EU must go hand in hand. The agreements reached through the EU-facilitated dialogue, especially the Ohrid Agreement, are binding,” Kallas said.

She called on both sides to implement the agreements already reached, arguing that citizens across the region expect stable and normal relations. Kallas also reaffirmed the EU’s role as an impartial mediator but warned that mediation cannot replace political will in Pristina and Belgrade.

“It is time to move forward,” she said.

Meanwhile, Kurti used the meeting to raise the Banjska attack and renewed Kosovo’s demand for the extradition of Milan Radoičić, who claimed responsibility for the September 2023 armed attack in northern Kosovo that killed police officer Afrim Bunjaku.

Kurti called for stronger EU support in pressuring Serbia to ensure those responsible face justice in Kosovo.

At the same time, Vučić discussed Serbia’s EU integration path, reform efforts and regional stability with Kallas. He also addressed the position and security of Serbs in Kosovo and reiterated Serbia’s commitment to dialogue with European partners.

The meetings underscored continued EU efforts to revive momentum in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, which has remained stalled since 2023, while keeping both sides focused on their European integration goals.

/a.c/