Vucic Says US, West Openly Demand Serbia Recognize Kosovo's Independence

The United States and other Western countries openly demand that Serbia recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2021) The United States and other Western countries openly demand that Serbia recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday.

US Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer and EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak are currently on an official visit to the region. On Monday and Tuesday, they held meetings with Kosovo officials, during which Palmer said that Pristina has to form a community of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo in accordance with the 2013 Brussels agreement with Belgrade. Palmer and Lajcak will head for Serbia on Wednesday evening to meet with Vucic the next day.

"The US and Western forces demand that Serbia recognize Kosovo one way or another.

They no longer demand that it be presented in some form, but with a direct mention of mutual recognition. You cannot imagine how we 'need' the recognition [of Kosovar 'Prime Minister' Albin Kurti], as we will 'flourish' after that," Vucic said at a press conference.

In 2008, Kosovo, Serbia's autonomous province whose population is predominantly Albanian, proclaimed its independence from Belgrade. It is still not recognized by many countries, including Serbia, China, Iran, Russia and Spain.

In 2013, Serbia and Kosovo signed an EU-brokered agreement to normalize relations. However, the dialogue has since come to a standstill.

In 2020, the sides signed another deal on normalization, brokered by the United States.