Kosovo Government: Kosovo had never impeded the dialogue with Serbia

Kosovo Government: Kosovo had never impeded the dialogue with Serbia

They said that they are prepared to sit down at the table to find a final, legally binding agreement within existing borders, which leads to mutual recognition.

Commenting on the request of the Quint countries for the resumption of dialogue, a statement from the outgoing prime minister’s cabinet said for Radio Free Europe that "no conditions should be set on that process".

"The Kosovo government, especially Prime Minister Haradinaj had the right to protect the integrity and sovereignty of the country and that is why the decision to impose tariffs on goods from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina was necessary to protect the interests of Kosovo from the hostile actions and constant threats from Serbia against the state of Kosovo and its institutions”, it is said in the statement from the Kosovo Prime Minister's Cabinet.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, the Quint Group called on Kosovo and Serbia to urgently restart the EU-led dialogue and to show willingness to compromise in order to achieve “a greater Euro-Atlantic integration and its accompanying benefits.”.

In a joint statement, the governments of France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain and the United States noted that they are ready to step up their role in the process in support of the EU High Representative. However, they underlined that "they are unable to do so until both sides show willingness to compromise, remove obstacles and resume discussions".

"For Kosovo, that means suspending the tariffs (on the import of goods) imposed on Serbia. For Serbia, that means suspending the de-recognition campaign against Kosovo“, the Quint Group underlined in a statement that was submitted to the media by the US Embassies in Belgrade and Pristina, respectively. Governments of those five states emphasized that "after years of stagnation, the time has come to finally end the conflicts of the 1990s" and "provide a secure and prosperous future for the people of Kosovo and Serbia by negotiating in good faith an agreement that both sides can support”.