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Sorensen after meeting with the State Department official: We ensured harmonization for the next steps in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue!
2026-03-21 17:40:02 / KOSOVA
The European Union's envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Peter Sorensen, said that they have secured harmonization with the United States for the next steps in the dialogue.
He met at the US State Department with Brendan Hanrahan, senior official in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.
The State Department has announced the meeting, but has not provided details about it.
"Excellent meeting with senior Bureau official Brendan Hanrahan at the State Department. We discussed the dialogue, recent achievements, and ensured alignment on the way forward," the European envoy wrote in X.
The meeting between the European envoy and the senior American official comes after Sorensen met with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Pristina on March 14, when Kosovo agreed to provide temporary relief to Serbian citizens under the Law on Foreigners. This law, along with the law on vehicles, went into full effect the following day, REL reports.
The Kosovo Government's decision to offer relief has been welcomed by the United States, the EU, Serbia, and the United Kingdom.
The US Embassy in Pristina told Radio Free Europe that it welcomes the agreement reached between Kosovo and the EU on the implementation of the Law on Foreigners, but added that any changes affecting the Serbian community in Kosovo should be made in consultation with its members.
"We commend the engagement of the parties in this matter to reach a mutually acceptable solution," an Embassy spokesperson said in a written response to Radio Free Europe on March 17.
The Kosovo government announced on March 14 that it will offer temporary residence permits and recognize the identity cards of members of the Serbian community who are not equipped with Kosovo documents as provided for by the Law on Foreigners and Vehicles.
The laws on foreigners and vehicles began to be partially implemented on January 15, initially through an information campaign on the procedures and rules of their implementation, while as of March 15, they have entered into full force.
The law on foreigners requires all residents who do not have Kosovo documents to obtain a residence permit, while vehicles with foreign license plates will not be able to circulate in Kosovo for longer than three months, or only on the basis of authorization.
The entry into force of the decision will not affect Kosovo Serbs for a period of 12 months.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has stated that he has agreed to provide temporary residence permits for health and education workers, so that local Serbs do not lack basic services until Kosovo fully integrates them within its system.
Following this decision by the Kosovo Government, the EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said that she is ready to mediate a high-level meeting between Kosovo and Serbia "soon", after the Kosovo authorities provided temporary relief for the Serbian community in the Law on Foreigners.
According to her, "a new momentum has been created to advance relations between the EU and Kosovo and the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade."
Kosovo and Serbia have not held a high-level meeting since September 2023. The last meeting between Kurti and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, was held a few days before the armed attack on the Kosovo Police in Banjska, Zvečan.
A group of armed Serbs killed a Kosovo policeman during the attack. Three Serb attackers were also killed in the exchange of fire. Kosovo blames Serbia for the attack, but Belgrade denies involvement.
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