Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue: Chief Negotiators reach arrangement to resolve tension in north of Kosovo

F.P. Report

BRUSSELS: On Thursday, following extensive discussions facilitated by Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, Besnik Bislimi, Chief Negotiator of Kosovo, and Petar Petković, Chief Negotiator of Serbia, reached an arrangement to resolve the tensions in the north of Kosovo and work towards a sustainable solution allowing freedom of movement for all people.

To de-escalate the tensions, the parties agreed to remove the special police units currently deployed at Jarinje/Jarinjë and Brnjak/Bërnjakë Common Crossing Points (CCPs) simultaneously with the roadblocks starting on 2 October 2021 at 08:00 and finishing no later than 16:00. KFOR will deploy at Jarinje/Jarinjë and Brnjak/Bërnjakë CCPs before the beginning of the simultaneous removal and will remain for approximately two weeks to protect a safe and secure environment and guarantee freedom of movement.

Following the measures to de-escalate the situation on the ground, the parties will apply the sticker regime as agreed in the framework of the EU-facilitated Dialogue as a temporary solution until a permanent solution is agreed.

A Working Group chaired by the EU and consisting of the EU, Belgrade and Pristina parties, will be established to find a permanent and sustainable solution to the licence plate issue based on EU standards and practices. The first meeting of the Working Group will take place on 21 October 2021 in Brussels.

The EU welcomes the outcome of today’s discussion and urges both parties to constructively engage in the Dialogue in order to make swift progress on comprehensive normalisation of their relations.

In the course of today’s negotiations, the EU Facilitator took note of the concerns raised by the Belgrade party concerning the non-implementation of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and the lack of a Kosovo Serb majority panel at the Court of Appeals in a recent case. The Facilitator calls on both parties to implement all past agreements. In order to do so, the EU as the facilitator will address outstanding issues arising from the First Agreement of principles governing the normalisation of relations, the “Brussels Agreement”, with both parties as a matter of priority in one of the next Chief Negotiator meetings before the end of the year.