Hoti replied to Lajcak's letter: There is one "but", though

Hoti replied to Lajcak's letter: There is one "but", though

Any request for a visit will be treated in the context of the country's current state of affairs, Hoti replied.

"We respect the agreements, of course, we are for free movement, we work in the process of dialogue to conclude all open issues, but sometimes they are quite sensitive. I received a letter from Lajcak, I will answer, every request for a visit will be treated in the context of present sensitivity," Hoti told journalists, as Gazeta Express reports.

EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak sent a letter to the Prime Minister of the Interim Institutions of Kosovo, Avdullah Hoti, reminding him that the freedom of movement of Belgrade and Pristina officials is provided by agreements on freedom of movement and official visits.

What Lajcak wrote to Hoti?

In the letter, Lajcak reminded Hoti that the freedom of movement of officials of Belgrade and Pristina is provided by the agreements on freedom of movement, as well as the agreements on official visits.

"The EU expects Kosovo to continue working towards achieving comprehensive normalization with Serbia. That includes respecting and implementing all agreements reached so far in the dialogue," Lajcak wrote in a letter dated November 23, which Tanjug had access to.

In the letter, Lajcak reminds Hoti that free travel to the territory of the other party is agreed in the Agreement on Freedom of Movement, while special rules are established for persons performing official duties, which is determined by the Agreements on official visits.

"Agreements on official visits and their amendments, which are an integral part of them, ensure proper handling and execution of official visits. This agreement together with the agreement on Freedom of Movement proved to be very useful and they represent achievements in the work of you and Belgrade, which should be preserved", Lajcak wrote.

At the same time, he reminded Hoti that both agreements were agreed during the dialogue and must be respected by both sides - Belgrade and Pristina.

"Non-compliance with these agreements sends a very negative signal about Kosovo's credibility as a party in the dialogue process. In addition, their violations undermine efforts to normalize relations between the two sides and increase tensions on the ground. In turn, this seriously affects current talks on a future comprehensive agreement", Lajcak concluded.

The Brussels diplomat told Hoti that his role as prime minister is key to ensuring respect for those agreements reached during the dialogue by Kosovo institutions.