“Their personal engagement will continue to be essential in view of a swift implementation of the plan,” said European Union’s (EU) High Representative Catherine Ashton, while commending prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo, Ivica Dačić and Hashim Thaçi, for the adoption of the implementation plan on the agreement reached last month.
The Serbian government on Sunday unanimously backed a plan for the implementation of an EU-brokered normalisation agreement with Kosovo, local media reported. The plan was agreed upon in Brussels on 23 May between the two prime ministers.
The implementation plan, which according to Ashton “represents a further step forward in the EU-facilitated dialogue“, relates to the agreement reached by Belgrade and Pristina last month.
In April, Belgrade and Pristina concluded a historical agreement that will permit them to normalise relations and set a path towards European Union membership. According to the deal, facilitated by EU, the authorities in Pristina will assume power over the region of northern Kosovo, while 40,000 local Serbs would be granted with a degree of autonomy in the area.
In a statement released after adoption of the implementation plan by Serbian authorities, Catherine Ashton pointed out its importance, saying that it “is designed to solve problems on the ground and to ensure rapid progress of both Serbia and Kosovo towards the European Union”.
Serbian Prime Minister Dačić told media last week it was important for Serbia to reach the implementation agreement before the European Council makes a decision in June about granting Serbia a date for the start of EU membership talks. Dačić is expected to participate in the upcoming meeting of in the European Parliament’s (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday to discuss Serbia's recent agreement and continued talks with Kosovo.