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14 de setembro de 2010Ashton says there is “a desire” from both sides to resolve their differences.
EU foreign ministers hope a United Nations resolution calling for dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo will spur reconciliation talks.
Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, today said that the resolution, passed by the UN’s General Assembly yesterday, was “an opportunity to move forward” for both Serbia and Kosovo, which declared independence in February 2008.
Ashton, who was chairing two days of talks with foreign ministers in Brussels, said the EU would “be willing” to mediate talks at a future date. The foreign policy chief said she believed there was “a desire” from both Kosovo and Serbia to resolve their differences.
Alexander Stubb, Finland’s foreign minister, said the EU now “needed to work on Serbia’s path” toward EU membership. Several EU member states, including the Netherlands and the UK, still have reservations about accepting Serbia’s bid to join the EU. Both countries want Serbia to do more to arrest Ratko Mladić, who is wanted by the UN’s war crimes tribunal.
The General Assembly passed a compromise resolution yesterday, backed by Serbia, calling for a new dialogue between Belgrade and Kosovo. It also welcomed mediation efforts by the EU to foster reconciliation talks.
The resolution was passed after Boris Tadić, the president of Serbia, agreed to drop language challenging Kosovo’s independence from the resolution.
Serbia’s U-turn came after talks with Ashton on Tuesday and Wednesday (7-8 September), but Tadić stressed that the move did not imply a change of Serbia’s position that Kosovo – recognised by 22 of the EU’s 27 member states – was part of its territory.
Kosovo’s government has said that it is willing to discuss any issue with Belgrade except its statehood.
