Kosovo, Serbia should not ruin the chance to reach a comprehensive agreement, Grenell’s spokesperson

Gazeta Express

15/02/2020 13:29

Dick Custin, spokesperson to the US special envoy on Kosovo Serbia dialogue, Richard Grenell, told Gazeta Express that Kosovo and Serbia have a chance to reach a comprehensive agreement. “The two countries should not ruin this chance,” he said.

The US Presidential envoy on dialogue, Richard Grenell, within a four months’ period has managed to convince Kosovo and Serbia reach three economic agreements. After 21 years Pristina and Belgrade pledged to restore air, rail and highway links. Kosovo president Hashim Thaci has highly appreciated the US commitment, who jointly with Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic attended the ceremony of signing the next agreements between Kosovo and Serbia on rail, and road links. Thaci said this momentum and US interest in Kosovo should not be wasted, expressing his expectations of reaching of a final agreement on normalisation within this year. “We should not waste this extraordinary focus of president Trump and the US administration, in order not to lose decades until get their attention again,” Thaci said on Saturday. He also said that he hopes the United States and European Union coordinate in this process and lose no more time in reaching a final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.

Grenell’s spokesperson says Kosovo and Serbia should use this opportunity. “This is a chance for Serbia and Kosovo to reach a comprehensive agreement. The two countries should not ruin this chance,” Custin told Gazeta Express. He said the Ambassador Grenell is clsley cooperating with the US Secretary’s Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Matthew Palmer. “The Secretary’s Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Matthew Palmer, is working closely with Ambassador Grenell, and they are absolutely working from the same page,” Custin said.

In October 2019 President Donald Trump appointed US Ambassador to Berlin, Richard Grenell, as his special envoy on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. In January 2020 Grenell has visited Pristina and Belgrade and asked resumption of dialogue enabling economic development, and generating new jobs and attracting foreign investments. Greneall also urged Kosovo institutions to drop 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods, and is against introducing reciprocity measures with Serbia, as proposed by Kosovo’s newly appointed prime minister Albin Kurti. He also asked Serbia to stop its campaign against Kosovo’s statehood. /GazetaExpress/