(24 Aug 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pristina - 24 August 2022
1. Wide of government building
2. Close of Kosovo flag
3. Various of the special envoy of the European Union for dialogue, Miroslav Lajçak, and Special Representative of the United States of America for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, arriving
4. Various of signs of Kosovo government
5. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti arriving at the press conference
6. SOUNDBITE (Albanian) Albin Kurti, Prime Minister of Kosovo:
"The postponement of the decision (that Serbian identity documents and vehicle license plates would no longer be valid in Kosovo's territory) did not happen so it would become a habit. The postponement came as a good will gesture, and it happened due to the concerns of our international partners that there was a big campaign of misinformation (by Serbia) during the whole month of July. Now we are fighting the misinformation, and on the 1st of September we will have one of two scenarios: either there will be, or there won't be entry-exit papers between Kosovo and Serbia."
7. Cutaway Kosovo flag
8. SOUNDBITE (Albanian) Albin Kurti , Kosovo Prime Minister:
"We will do everything in our power, together with our international partners, with KFOR, so that the roadblocks (put up by minority Serbs in reaction the decision prior to the postponement) will not happen again. One thing I can say: I am not a policeman, I am not a judge. If you break the law, state institutions deal with that, and not the Prime Minister. So I hope that the previous images of barricades and criminal gangs will not repeat itself. And that on the 1st of September everything will go ahead without troubles."
9. Kurti leaving
STORYLINE:
U.S. and European Union envoys met with Kosovo's prime minister on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to avert further tensions with Serbia after a meeting last week in Brussels ended with no agreement on a dispute between the former Balkan war foes.
U.S. envoy Gabriel Escobar and the EU's Miroslav Lajcak traveled to Pristina on Wednesday and will move on to the Serbian capital, Belgrade, on Thursday.
It was not immediately clear how close the two sides were to an agreement after the EU-mediated meeting last week produced no breakthrough.
Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo soared anew late last month when Kosovo's government declared that Serb-issued identity documents and vehicle license plates would no longer be valid in Kosovo’s territory, as Kosovo-issued ones are not valid in Serbia.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence, and still considers the territory as its own.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said he was acting with reciprocity to the measures from Serbia.
But Kosovo Serbs responded furiously, blocking roads in the Serb-dominated north of Kosovo.
The incident has fueled fears of more unrest in the Balkans amid the uncertainties caused by the war in Ukraine.
Kosovo has postponed the decision implementation until Sept. 1 as Washington and Brussels step up diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.
The diplomats' visit comes a few days after the meeting between Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Brussels, mediated by the EU.
The meeting failed to produce an agreement on the issue of licences plates and IDs.
"On the 1st of September we will have one of two scenarios: either there will be, or there won't be entry-exit papers between Kosovo and Serbia," Kurti said.
The talks in Brussels, which began 11 years ago, aim at an agreement to normalize relations between the two countries.
Clients are reminded:
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Ещё видео!