2 yıl önce

Türkiye welcomes new Serbia-Kosovo border policy deal

Serbia and Kosovo agreed on a new border policy under an EU-facilitated dialogue process on Saturday,

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Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had spoken on the phone with his Kosovar and Serbian counterparts to defuse tensions.

Türkiye welcomes the new border crossing policy deal between Serbia and Kosovo regarding the border crossings and ID cards, the country’s Foreign Ministry has said.

“We hope that the parties will agree on other matters, especially on the license plate issue, at the earliest,” the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Noting that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke on the phone with his Kosovar and Serbian counterparts to defuse tensions, the statement said Türkiye has also continued to call on parties to act with restraint.

“Türkiye, as a Balkan country, attaches utmost importance to maintaining peace and stability in the Balkans and supports resolving problems through dialogue, as well as initiatives to this end.” it said.

"Türkiye will continue to strive to maintain peace and stability in the region," the ministry added.

Diplomatic crisis

Aggravating issues between Serbia and Kosovo were the Kosovar IDs and vehicle licence plates Pristina is imposing across Kosovo, including on the Serbian minority living in the north, and entry-exit documents required on the border between the neighbours.

Following new tensions in northern Kosovo, bordering Serbia in late July, the Kosovar side postponed those arrangements until September 1.

On Saturday, Serbia and Kosovo agreed on a new border policy under an EU-facilitated dialogue process, said the bloc’s foreign policy chief.

Under the policy, Serbia agreed to abolish its entry-exit document for Kosovo ID holders and Kosovo agreed to not introduce them for Serbian ID holders.

Launched in 2011, the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue aims to normalise relations between the Western Balkan neighbours.

The last high-level meeting with the participation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti took place on August 18 at the headquarters of the EU diplomatic service in Brussels.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, with most UN member states, including the US, UK, France, Germany, and Türkiye, recognising it as a separate country autonomous from its neighbour.

Serbia continues to see Kosovo as its territory.

SOURCE: TRTWorld and agencies