US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday in Vienna, in a press conference with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, that the EU-facilitated dialogue “is the only stable mechanism, the only stable way forward” for Kosovo and Serbia.
“We need to see good faith, constructive efforts from Kosovo and Serbia to stabilize relations and to take measures towards that path. Not to raise tensions, to increase coordination, to increase transparency with international partners, to implement all the commitments that come out of the dialogue”, he said.
Mr. Blinken made the comments in the context of the cooperation of the United States with Austria and European countries in general, in terms of the integration of the Western Balkans, the progress of which he said is important for the United States, but also for President Biden and himself , since “when I started working in the 90s, a large part of the world's attention was on the Balkans, Bosnia, Kosovo”.
“Neither we, nor Europe, and in particular the people of the Western Balkans, need a return, finding ourselves again in the situation of the 90s”, said Mr. Blinken.
He expressed optimism that thanks to the support of countries like Austria, the region is moving on the path of European integration.
“This is the common goal for a democratic, prosperous and peaceful region, integrated with the rest of Europe,” said the Secretary of State.
Mr. Blinken welcomed the European Council's recommendation to open negotiations with Bosnia-Herzegovina and called on the country's leaders to overcome divisions and undertake the necessary reforms to move forward towards the EU.