Eurasia Press & News
United States secretary of state Hillary Clinton, speaking in Kosovo’s capital Pristina on October 13 2010, said that the US will work to get Serbia and Kosovo to reconcile over the issue of Kosovo’s independence.
Clinton said that a dialogue between the two states should begin and conclude as quickly as possible.
“As I said to prime minister (Hashim) Thaci today and to Serbian president (Boris) Tadic yesterday, some matters, like the status, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Kosovo, are not up for discussion,” Clinton said, according to a state department transcript of her remarks.
“But the leaders of both countries must approach the dialogue in good faith and with respect for each other’s concerns. These talks represent an opportunity to address immediate and practical needs while making progress toward mutually beneficial goals – for example, increasing travel and trade,” Clinton said.
She said that the US has urged both Serbia and Kosovo to come to the table with a plan – “and we know that Kosovo has already presented a framework — and to lay the groundwork for a positive, long-term relationship”.
“Now, this is not easy. We understand that. But there are many countries in Europe and elsewhere who have long histories of conflict, such as France and Germany, that are now cooperating, trading, working together. It is our hope that in the future, we can say the same about Serbia and Kosovo,” Clinton said.
