EU mum on reported US plan for Kosovo

EU mum on reported US plan for Kosovo

Mogherni's spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said this for Beta agency on Wednesday, regarding media claims that several EU member states are asked to be directly involved in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue because they are dissatisfied with the lack of information, especially about the drafting of a legally binding agreement on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

Kocijancic emphasized that the European External Action Service (EEAS), headed by Mogherni, does not comment on reports in the press. She underlined that "the good will service in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is provided by Mogherni."

EEAS sources did not want to reply when asked to confirm that the United States had submitted a proposal with four key principles for a legally binding Belgrade-Pristina agreement.

Some media reported that some EU members are dissatisfied with being "completely excluded from the dialogue... that is entering a crucial phase" and that when EU leaders meet in late June, they will be asked to include in the conclusions also the obligation to involve EU members directly in the dialogue - allegedly Spain and members of the Visegrad Group in particular are demanding this.

EU sources told Beta that in June, a debate on EU's further strategy regarding the prospects of membership of Western Balkan countries will be held, but that, because of the resistance of political forces and the public in several countries of the EU, for now, there are different views on whether to refer to this complex and long process as "entry into membership."

France, Germany, the Netherlands, and some other members believe that the EU's reorganization must happen first, especially after populist forces came to power in Italy, in order to see how to strengthen the crucially important eurozone, and only then see will in what way and how to "join or include" also some countries from the Western Balkans, provided that they individually meet all the requirements of the EU.