EU's Borrell Says Kosovo, Serbia Reach Deal On Exit-Entry Documents

According to RFE/RL, Josep Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat, said Serbia and Kosovo have reached a compromise deal over the distribution of exit and entrance documents, an issue that has helped raise tensions along the two countries’ border.

“We have a deal,” Borrell said in a Twitter posting on August 27.

“Under the EU-facilitated Dialogue, Serbia agreed to abolish entry/exit documents for Kosovo ID holders and Kosovo agreed to not introduce them for Serbian ID holders,” he said.

“Kosovo Serbs, as well as all other citizens, will be able to travel freely between Kosovo & Serbia using their ID cards. The EU just received guarantees from [Kosovo] PM [Albin] Kurti to this end.

“This is a European solution. We congratulate both leaders on this decision & their leadership,” Borrell added.

In a video message, Borrell thanked Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic for the agreement to allow freedom of movement of the countries' citizens.

Word of the agreement came after the U.S. special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, who is on a visit to the region, and EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak both met with Vucic in Belgrade on August 25 after holding talks in Kosovo with Kurti and ethnic Serb leaders as part the efforts to ease tensions.

Kurti said in a Facebook posting that citizens of Kosovo “with identification documents issued by our country, will be able to cross the border with Serbia at all border crossings without obstacles, burdens, or delays.

“The same will apply to the opposite direction in the case of entering Kosovo with identification documents issued by the authorities of Serbia.”

Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani thanked the EU and Washington in a Facebook posting and said that “freedom of movement is the foundation of democratic societies and European values.”