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A US State Department spokesman told VOA that Kosovo and Serbia, as sovereign states, set their own foreign policy priorities.
He made the remarks in response to VOA’s Serbian-language program after Serbia reacted angrily to Kosovo’s application for membership in the Council of Europe, while warning of withdrawing recognitions of its independence.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic convened the National Security Council on Friday to discuss the situation following Kosovo’s request, which he described as a violation of the Washington agreement, signed on September 4, 2020 at the White House, in which was agreed that within a period of one year, Kosovo would not seek membership in international organizations while Serbia would stop the campaign to withdraw recognition for Kosovo.
A US State Department spokesman said Kosovo and Serbia are sovereign countries with the right to set their own foreign policy priorities. The response states that the moratorium aimed to expand the space for discussion and compromise between Kosovo and Serbia, which is in the strategic interests of both countries.
“European Union-mediated talks on normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia are essential for both countries to unlock their European future and to promote urgent, flexible and serious engagement in that process.“, It is said in the answer.
Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said in Belgrade after the Security Council meeting that Serbia was in a very difficult position and under tremendous pressure to accept, as he put it, “the violation of its territorial integrity”. By submitting the application for membership in the Council of Europe, Kosovo, he said, proved that it is not interested in an agreement through negotiations but has chosen unilateral actions.
The Serbian Minister told reporters that four countries have decided to withdraw the recognition of Kosovo’s independence with diplomatic notes, which Serbian President Vuçiç can publish whenever he deems necessary, giving, as he said, the opportunity for Council member states. of Europe not to start the procedure of Kosovo’s accession in June.
Kosovo submitted its application for membership in the Council of Europe on Thursday. Authorities in Pristina say that after Russia’s expulsion from the Council of Europe due to aggression against Ukraine, membership opportunities are now open, while they hope to secure the support of two-thirds of the 46 member states as needed for membership in the Council of Europe .
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gërvalla Schwarz, said in a press conference on Friday in Pristina that Kosovo’s request is the most important step of the country on the road to European integration, since the declaration of independence.
“We are very happy to have the broad support of the Council of Europe for our application for membership. We are therefore both cautious and grateful, but also optimistic that my counterparts in the Council of Europe on 20 May this year will welcome our application for membership.“, Said Mrs. Gërvalla Schwarz.
She called Serbia’s warnings to withdraw recognition of Kosovo destructive approach to its neighbors, emphasizing that they present two possibilities, one is that they are false news and the other is that Serbia has never stopped in its campaign for recognition of Kosovo’s independence. Kosovo.
Moscow, backed by Moscow, opposes Kosovo’s independence, which has been recognized by over 110 countries, and opposes any move by Pristina to join international organizations./VOA
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