Document/ Kosovo-Serbia Agreement Signed at White House
Dear Mr. Prime Minister:
The United States was pleased to host you at the White House this week. I applaud your bravery in making progress toward Serbia-Kosovo normalization. The United States has been Kosovo's steadfast partner from the beginning, and we believe these negotiations, held at the White House, represent a historic diplomatic breakthrough. After more than 20 years of limited progress, we believe the economic normalization achieved here is key to ensuring long-term pace and stability in the Balkans.
In addition, we applaud your courageous decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel. This is an important step for Kosovo's alliances in the Middle East, and we look forward to our continued partnership with you.
Economic Normalization
Serbia (Belgrade) and Kosovo (Pristina) agree to move forward with economic normalization agreeing to the following:
- Both parties will implement the Belgrade-Pristina highway agreement previously signed on February 14, 2020.
- Both parties will implement the Belgrade-Pristina rail agreement previously signed on February 14, 2020.
- In addition, both parties will commit to a joint feasibility study on options for linking Belgrade-Pristina rail infrastructure to a deep sea port in the Adriatic.
Kosovo (Pristina) and Serbia (Belgrade) will work with the US International Development Finance Corporation and EXIM on memorandums of understanding to operationalize the following:
- The Peace Highway
- The rail link between Pristina and Merdare
- The rail link between Nis and Pristina
- Providing financing to support loans required for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's)
- Additional bilateral projects.
- An international, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation full-time presence in Belgrade, Serbia.
Both parties will open and operationalize the Merdare Common Crossing Point facility.
Both parties will join the “mini-Schengen zone," announced by Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia in October 2019, and fully utilize its benefits.
Both parties will mutually recognize diplomas and professional certificates.
Both parties will agree to work with the U.S. Department of Energy, and other appropriate U.S. Government entities, on a feasibility study for the purposes of sharing Gazivode/Uj Lake, as a reliable water and energy supply.
Both parties will diversify their energy supplies.
Both parties will prohibit the use of 5G equipment supplied by untrusted vendors in their communications networks. Where such equipment is already present, both parties commence removal and other mediation efforts in a timely fashion.
Both parties will increase airline passenger screening, information-sharing between each other, and within the framework of broader U.S. Cooperation in the Balkans, and communication technology upgrades to combat illicit activities by implementing and operationalizing U. S. provided screening and information systems, including PISCES, APIS, ATS-G, and SR
Both parties pledge to protect and promote freedom of religion, including renewed interfaith comumunication, protection of religious sites and implementation of judicial decisions pertaining to the Serbian Orthodox Church, and continued restitution of Holocaust-era heirless and unclaimed Jewish property.
Both parties pledge to expedite efforts to locate and identify the remains of missing persons. Both parties commit to identifying and implementing long-term, durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons. Both parties commit to identify a point of contact to lead these efforts within their respective government ministries and coordinate between Belgrade and Pristina, and will provide an annual update on the number of cases resolved as pending.
Both parties will work with the 69 countries that criminalize homosexuality to push for decriminalization. Both parties pledge to designate Hizballah in its entirety as a terrorist organization, and fully implement measures to restrict Hizballah's operations and financial activities in their jurisdictions.
Kosovo (Pristina) will agree to implement a one-year moratorium seeking new membership into International Organizations. Serbia (Belgrade) will agree to a one-year moratorium of its de-recognition campaign, and will refrain from formally or informally requesting any nation or International Organization not to recognize Kosovo (Pristina) as an independent state. Both agreements to desist will take effect immediately.
Kosovo [Pristina] and Israel agree to mutually recognize each other.