The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said that the full normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is the "only way" for these countries to join the bloc.
In a Twitter post, Kallas, who is the mediator for the dialogue, welcomed the appointment of Peter Sorensen to the post of the bloc's special envoy for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
Even in the past, the EU has said that the parties' path to the bloc is conditional on the normalization of relations.
Sorensen began his mandate on February 1, after receiving confirmation from EU foreign ministers and ambassadors.
He will replace Miroslav Lajcak in this post.
"Thank you Miroslav Lajcak for your efforts. The work done will serve as a basis for re-engagement," Kallas wrote in X.
The Danish diplomat, Sorensen, will deal only with the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and not with regional Balkan issues, like his predecessor.
The dialogue process began in 2011 and aims to fully normalize relations. Kosovo wants a final agreement to include mutual recognition, while Serbia wants a compromise where neither side would be an absolute winner or loser.
During Lajcak's five-year mandate, the parties reached an Agreement on the path towards normalization of relations.
The 11-article agreement, among other things, provides for a level of self-management for the Serbian community in Kosovo, mutual recognition of state symbols, so that Serbia does not block Kosovo's membership in international organizations, and requires Pristina and Belgrade to also implement all previous agreements reached during the dialogue.
The agreement, which has not yet been implemented, has not been signed, but the EU has said it is binding on Kosovo and Serbia. /REL (A2 Televizion)
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