The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security, Josep Borrell, has held this Thursday a conference for meetings with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the Serbian President, Aleksandër Vucic, in the framework of the continuation of the dialogue between the two countries for the normalization of relations. 

He stated that no agreement has been reached, but it has been agreed to continue the dialogue process in the first days of September. Borrell added that in the event of an escalation of tensions, the instigating party will be held fully responsible. 

"The meeting was about the obligations of the two leaders for a solution and to show that peace and stability prevail in the north of Kosovo, this happened at critical moments, after Russia invaded Ukraine. A dramatic and dangerous moment, and it is not a moment to increase tensions, but to find solutions to protracted problems. It was a crisis management meeting, not a normal meeting. The purpose was reducing tensions. We also focused on normalizing relations between the two countries. The two leaders had the opportunity to talk in detail about the status tensions. What is happening there today may happen somewhere else tomorrow. I thank both of them understood that there is no alternative but dialogue. There are differences between them in their views on the final status, but they agreed to continue discussions to move towards normalization faster. This will be high on my agenda, also thanking Lajcak. 

The parties will be fully responsible if the situation escalates. We did not have an agreement today but it is not the end, both agreed that the process should continue in the first days of September. I do not give up, today there was no agreement, but we do not give up, we must continue and find a solution. 

At the end of the meeting, I made it clear to both of them that both parties must be persistent and must find a solution to advance in the first steps, which is to find a solution. It was a long day of meetings and I must say that we agreed to continue in a political way to go towards agreements to create security and stability for the region. 

It is our duty to strengthen the work and find solutions for what we have not been able to do so far," said Borrell.