The meeting in Pristina ends, Escobar and Lajçak 3 requests for Kurt

Calming the situation in the north of Kosovo, holding new elections and returning to dialogue were the three demands of the European Union envoy for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, and the American envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, during the meeting with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti.

"We presented a proposal on behalf of the international community that contains three elements. We had long, honest and difficult talks", said Lajcaku, after the tripartite meeting on the evening of June 5.

He said that it is in everyone's interest that there are "legitimate" mayors of municipalities in the north of Kosovo who represent the citizens.

Meanwhile, Escobar said that he came to this meeting, which lasted over two hours, as a friend of Kosovo and said that he hopes that their requests will be heard.

"I have never seen so much unity within the transatlantic community. The USA, EU, NATO and almost every friend of Kosovo has made the same proposal. So I hope we will be heard," said Escobar.

Asked if Kurti has accepted their proposals, both said that they are at the "beginning of their mission", which will last two days.

"I hope that we will announce good news at the end, but we have not reached there yet", said Lajcaku.

The US and EU envoys will hold meetings with senior heads of state in Pristina and Belgrade on June 6.

A day ago, Escobar told the BBC that the tensions in the north of Kosovo were avoidable, and he called on the Government of Kosovo to take steps towards reducing tensions.

"This escalation was partly the result of the unwillingness of the Kosovar side to listen to the international community. She has provoked tensions, unnecessarily, by insisting on the use of municipal facilities. There are other buildings from which work can be done, and if nothing else, the coronavirus pandemic has taught us that we can also work from alternative locations."

Escobar has said that the efforts of the international factor to coordinate with the Government of Kosovo have encountered resistance.

"There was no need to go to those buildings. They have no real value. They are mostly dry now. Kurti has assured us that those mayors will only exercise administrative authorities, to perform basic municipal services".

Among the demands mentioned for the Government of Kosovo was that the new Albanian mayors should not go to the municipal buildings, and that the Kosovo Police forces should be withdrawn from those buildings.

On May 30, the American ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, said that as a result of the non-coordination of the Government of Kosovo with the USA, regarding actions in the north, Prishtina was excluded from the largest military exercises of NATO allies in the region. of the Balkans, Defender Europe 2023.

Asked what the US currently wants from Kurti, Escobar said that the Prime Minister of Kosovo has been given many orders.

"We have ordered him to withdraw the mayors from the municipal buildings, to remove the police officers from the buildings, and then, urgently, to start the discussions for the formation of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority".

Kosovo and Serbia have reached agreement on the Association in 2013 and then in 2015 on the principles for its establishment.

In 2015, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo found that the agreement is not in full harmony with the Constitution.

Serbia demands that Kosovo implement the agreements reached, but the Government of Kosovo has declared against a mono-ethnic association.

Kosovo and Serbia, with the mediation of the EU, started negotiations for the normalization of relations in 2011.

The parties have signed several agreements, but not all have been implemented./REL