In his letter to President Trump, Kosovo President, Hashim Thaci said that he was ready to reach a compromise with Serbia with the goal of concluding a legally binding agreement on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

The talks (on normalization of relations) have been halted since November 2018 when the government in Pristina raised customs tariffs on imports of locally-made products from Serbia by 100 percent. Serbia said it would not hold talks if the trade situation was not returned to normal.

“I will be ready and willing to make compromises necessary to reach a comprehensive and balanced settlement that will encompass all outstanding issues, thereby ending the century-old conflict with Serbia, and bringing peace to the whole region,” Thaci said in his letter dated January 8th.

Thaci said in June he would seek a solution with Serbia by “correcting borders,” but politicians and analysts in Kosovo said that would mean land swaps.

In his letter to Trump, Thaci also said he agreed a deal was “now within reach.”

Thaci goes on to say that “the emerging agreement will not interim peace or a frozen conflict” and adds:”We are trying to break the pattern and achieve a permanent agreement in which both sides recognize each other and renounce further conflict, and in which Kosovo joins the UN as a member state.”

“Achieving such a historic breakthrough will require maximum effort by both parties. I pledge to do my part. And I will urge my fellow Kosovars to follow your call in your December letter, “to speak with a unified voice during the peace talks, and refrain from actions that would make an agreement more difficult to achieve.”

Thaci ends his letter to Trump with:”As you generously suggested, I think of no better way to celebrate our success than to follow your leadership and join you at the White House where peace and history are together made.”

It remains unclear why Thaci published the letter now, days after he received a letter from Trump urging his Kosovo counterpart to do everything to reach a deal with Serbia two decades after the war ended.

(Danas, 29.01.2019)

https://www.danas.rs/politika/taci-pisao-trampu-spremni-smo-za-kompromise-sa-srbijom/

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