Lajčak: The spa changed everything, dialogue has no alternative

The EU's special envoy for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajčak, said on Saturday that the events in Banjska have changed the situation, but that the dialogue on the normalization of relations "has no alternative".

Lajcak, after the meeting of the "big five" with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, said that the attackers of the Kosovo police in Banjska must be brought to justice, and that the incident must be thoroughly investigated, reports Radio Free Europe.

He reiterated that Western countries strongly condemn the attack in Banjska and added that Serbia's full cooperation in this matter is expected.

In addition to Lajcak, the US envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, as well as the chief advisers of the leaders of France, Germany and Italy, Emmanuel Bonn, Jens Plotner and Alessandro Cattaneo, spoke with Kurti.

Read more A new round of arm twisting: Escobar and Lajcak in Belgrade and Pristina

Kurti said after the meeting that the priority of his government is the security of the country, citizens, borders and territory of Kosovo.

"After the terrorist and criminal attack on September 24, which was carried out by paramilitary groups with the patronage and participation of Serbia, the punishment is of crucial importance so that (the attack) does not happen again," the statement of the Government of Kosovo stated.

After the meeting with the "big five", Kurti said that a new approach to the dialogue process with Serbia is necessary.

"The events of September 24 make it clear that de-escalation and normalization are now more urgent than ever before." Any conditioning or delay is unacceptable. We expect Kosovo and Serbia to fulfill their obligations arising from the dialogue," said Lajcak.

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In this context, he stated that, if Kosovo wants to progress towards the EU, it must immediately form a Union of Municipalities with a Serbian majority, which would provide greater autonomy to the Serbs in Kosovo.

Lajcak said that the "big five" came to Pristina with a plan that they would later discuss with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, but he did not want to specify what it was about.

"Dialogue has no alternative because dialogue brings the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and opens the European path for Kosovo and Serbia," Lajcak said.

Western diplomats came with the aim of "reviving the dialogue" between Kosovo and Serbia, and after the visit to Pristina, a meeting with the President of Serbia is underway in Belgrade, after which no statements were announced for the media.

EU spokesman Peter Stano said earlier that the goal of the visits of the so-called "big five" to Pristina and Belgrade is to achieve concrete progress in the implementation of the Agreement on the road to normalization and de-escalation after the latest events.

BG/FoNet