Normalization of Relations between Serbia and Kosovo Sample Clauses

Normalization of Relations between Serbia and Kosovo. The process of normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo represents one of the most important political processes in the Western Balkans today. Its course has had significant effects on European integration of Serbia and Kosovo, but also on the entire region. Its outcome, regardless of whether it would be considered a success or not, will be of fundamental importance for many intertwined processes in the Western Balkans – European integration, reconciliation, stabilization and economic development. The EU Facilitated Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, commonly known as the “Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue” or “Brussels Dialogue” is a process that began in March 2011 in the form of technical dialogue between two sides. The basis for this dialogue could be found in the UN General Assembly resolution 64/298, jointly proposed by Serbia and the European Union and adopted on 9 September 2010, which practically put future negotiations between two sides under the auspices of the European Union.1 The first phase of the dialogue, commonly referred to as the technical dialogue, lasted from March 2011 until February 2012, and resulted in many important agreements such as agreements on cadastre, customs stamps, mutual recognition of diplomas, integrated border/boundary management and representation of Kosovo in regional forums.2 In this phase of the dialogue, the main negotiators were not high officials of the two governments and it was frequently emphasized that this was just a technical process, one aimed at resolving practical issues in the interest of all people living in Kosovo. At that time, it was impossible to imagine high government officials shaking hands or being directly engaged in conversations. However, after the Serbian parliamentary elections in May 2012, which brought the coalition of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) to power, the two governments elevated the dialogue process on the “political level“, with meetings between two Prime Ministers, Xxxxx Xxxxx of Serbia and Xxxxxx Xxxxx of Kosovo, taking place in Brussels.3 This „political dialogue“ started in October 2012 and is still ongoing today, 1 UN GA Resolution A/RES/64/298. 2 For the timeline of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue see: Overview of the EU Facilitated Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Centre for Contemporary Politics, Belgrade, March 2016.