Serbia and Kosovo Resume EU-Sponsored Talks After 20 Months

(Bloomberg) -- Peace talks between Serbia and Kosovo led by the European Union resumed after almost two years when the leaders of the two nations held a video-conference before a planned meeting in person next Thursday.

The talks between Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti, which have faced numerous obstacles in recent years, did not yield a breakthrough. But the resumption is a welcome sign of further stabilization in the region and a revival of EU accession prospects for both nations.

“I’m glad to say that after the Paris Summit [last Friday] and today’s meeting, the EU-facilitated dialogue on comprehensive normalizations of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is back on track after 20 months,” said Miroslav Lajčák, EU’s Special Representative, after the virtual meeting with both presidents on Sunday.

Serbia and Kosovo haven’t made much progress in a standoff following a war in late 1990s, that killed more than 10,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, and led to Kosovo declaring independence in 2008.

All parties agreed on the main elements of the process and on the agenda of the next meeting that will take place in Brussels.

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