Agreement reached on regional representation and cooperation in the latest round of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue

The ninth meeting of the dialogue foreseen in UN General Assembly Resolution 64/298, with the facilitation of the EU, between Dr. Tahiri who led the Kosovo delegation and Mr. Stefanovic who led the Serbian delegation, ended with an agreement on Regional Cooperation and with the adoption of a technical protocol on the implementation of the IBM deal.

The latest round of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue ended with the agreements reached on regional cooperation and on the implementation of the integrated management for crossing points (IBM). According to Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, these agreements are important not just for Serbia and Kosovo but for the stability of the region and thus for the EU especially bearing in mind the UN General Assembly Resolution 64/268.

On one hand, both parties confirmed their commitment to the fundamental EU value of effective, inclusive and representative regional cooperation. The agreement will allow for Kosovo to participate and sign new agreements on its own account and to speak for itself at all regional meetings. Kosovo will thus follow the same European course as all others in the Western Balkans, in line with its European perspective. In this light, the Commission proposes to launch a feasibility study for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Kosovo and the EU. Recently, the Commission started a dialogue with Kosovo on visa free travel.

On the other hand, both parties also agreed on the adoption of a technical protocol on the implementation of the IBM deal reached on 2 December 2011. This will enable those concerned to start work on practical questions such as the budget, design and location of the facilities. Moreover, the meeting also provided an opportunity to review progress on the implementation of other earlier agreements.