Thaci welcomes US help with Serbia negotiations

(16 Jun 2020) Kosovo's president on Tuesday hailed the United States' leadership role in the negotiations to normalise ties with their long-time war foe Serbia. President Hashim Thaci said he was optimistic the White House June 27 meeting would be successful. A day earlier Richard Grenell, US President Donald Trump's envoy, invited both countries to go to the White House June 27 in hopes of advancing negotiations toward normalisation of still-bitter relations following Kosovo's breakway. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic also has said he will be at the Washington meeting. EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak was going to Kosovo Tuesday, "courtesy to the Swiss military," after his commercial flight from Zurich, Switzerland, was cancelled a day earlier. Lajcak plans "to discuss timing and modalities for a swift resumption of the dialogue and concrete dates for a swift resumption," according to his spokeswoman Katharina Kandt. Thaci conditioned his visit's success whether he addressed two issues: visa liberalisation and recognizing Kosovo as an independent country in the talks. Thaci complained when Lajcak was nominated in the post saying that while he was the foreign minister for Slovakia he had not shown any sign of trying to recognise Kosovo. Slovakia is one of five EU member countries not recognising Kosovo. The Kosovar president said Lajcak should come with concrete steps to make the talks with Serbia easier. "If not then his mission would definitely be not successful," he added. Kosovo was part of Serbia until an armed uprising by the ethnic Albanian majority population in 1998-1999 triggered a bloody Serb crackdown. This in turn prompted a NATO bombing campaign against Serbia to force its troops out of Kosovo. Belgrade refuses to recognise Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...