UK Foreign Secretary Urges Progress In Kosovo-Serbia Talks During Visit to Pristina

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Wednesday urged both Kosovo and Serbia to make meaningful progress in their long-standing normalisation talks, the Associated Press reported. Lammy, on the second day of his visit to Kosovo, met with senior officials in the capital, Pristina, and stressed the need for both nations to advance the EU-facilitated dialogue aimed at resolving tensions. The Foreign Secretary also called on Kosovo to form a new government following its February 9 parliamentary election, where Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement Party (Vetevendosje!) won 48 out of 120 parliamentary seats but fell short of an outright majority.

“The UK continues to play its essential role as a key friend and partner of this great nation”, Lammy told Kosovar officials, according to AP.

Kosovo-Serbia relations have remained fraught since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008—a move Serbia, along with its allies Russia and China, refuses to accept. Lammy expressed strong support for the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, stressing that Britain is committed to helping foster a “lasting, peaceful normalization.”

“This this is a region that matters to Britain,” he said at a media briefing after meeting with President Vjosa Osmani. “We want a lasting, peaceful normalization.”

Kosovo and Serbia have been engaged in EU-led negotiations for over 14 years, but progress has been slow. One of the main points of contention is the implementation of agreements made two years ago, including Kosovo’s commitment to establishing an Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities and Serbia’s obligation to provide de facto recognition of Kosovo’s independence.

Lammy further urged Kosovo’s next government to prioritize addressing the needs of all citizens, particularly by working toward better integration of Kosovo’s Serb community and engaging in the EU-led dialogue.

“I hope that the next government will address all citizens’ needs, including by making progress to integrate Kosovo Serbs and engage vigorously in the EU-led dialogue,” Lammy reportedly said.

The 1998-1999 war in Kosovo resulted in the deaths of around 11,400 people, predominantly from Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority, the report said, adding that the conflict ended with a NATO air campaign, which forced Serbian forces out of Kosovo.

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