PRISTINA – Kosovo prime minister Hashim Thaci on Thursday appointed a special envoy for the EU-brokered talks with Serbia that are expected to begin soon, the government announced. Leading Kosovo’s delegation for the dialogue on practical matters with Serbia will be deputy prime minister Edita Tahiri, the government said in the press release.
“Dialogue as independent and sovereign countries with neighboring countries, including the Republic of Serbia, and solving practical problems for the well-being of all citizens in the region is a European value and standard,” the statement added. Tahiri was a foreign policy advisor to the late independence icon Ibrahim Rugova. She split from Rugova’s Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) in 2004 and formed the Democratic Alternative of Kosovo (ADK) party, which joined the Thaci-led coalition.
Belgrade and Pristina have agreed to the EU-brokered talks in order to ease strained relations after Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia three years ago. Brussels is pushing the two sides to start the talks on basic issues such as communications, transport and energy as soon as possible, but a date has yet to be set.
Despite Serbia’s intense international lobbying against Kosovo’s independence, it has been recognised by 75 countries so far, including the US and all but five EU members.
