Serbian and Kosovar negotiators have agreed in principle to begin a process of normalization of relations that would clear the way for Kosovo to join NATO State Department official said Washington hopes agreement encourages other nations in the region to begin to work to resolve their differences through negotiation CHICAGO: As EU-brokered negotiations continue for an agreement that will end years of disputes and conflict between Serbia and Kosovo, US officials said they are committed to doing “everything possible” to help ensure the peace talks succeed, a State Department official said on Tuesday. In a diplomatic initiative initially supported by France and Germany and now backed by all 27 EU member states, negotiators from Serbia and Kosovo have agreed in principle to begin a process of normalization of relations that would resolve at least some of their differences and clear the way for Kosovo to join NATO. Gabriel Escobar, deputy assistant secretary at the US State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, said the US is not a direct party to the ongoing negotiations but he expects the two nations to finalize an agreement. “I am very hopeful,” he said. “Our expectations are very high for this agreement … I do believe we have all of the stars in alignment to make this happen.” Describing the Western Balkans as “a very high priority” for Washington, Escobar said a peace deal “will open more doors for both (nations) to integrate into European and transatlantic structures,” and access economic support. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, Kosovo became part of Serbia. But long-running tensions between ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and the Serbs boiled over in February 1998 with the outbreak of the Kosovo War. Military intervention by NATO forces helped bring the conflict to an end in June 1999, when Serbian forces withdrew. However, the underlying tensions remained and Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008. It has since gained recognition as a sovereign state by 101 members of the UN. Serbia still considers Kosovo part of its territory. Escobar acknowledged that the agreement currently being discussed has its limits. “The European proposal is not about mutual recognition, it is about normalization. That is as far as this agreement goes,” he said. But he added that he hopes that it promotes a spirit of resolving problems through negotiation that will encourage other nations in the region to embark on such discussions, which is why the US has urged that wording be included in the agreement that defines an eventual future path for the resolution of all regional issues. “Just because we support this agreement at this particular time, it doesn’t mean that we don’t believe that, in order for the region to be healthy and to finally and fully emerge from all of the events of the 1990s, that all the countries of the region should recognize each other and have full and positive relations between each other,” Escobar said. “That is the reason why we encouraged (the inclusion of) the word ‘eventual’ … so that people understand that we are not looking to change the draft of the European proposal but that we haven’t lost sight of what ultimately we would like to have happen in the Western Balkans.” One contentious issue that remains is the presence of large Serbian communities in Kosovo. The agreement, Escobar said, “mandates that those communities be given recognition under the umbrella of an ‘association of Serbian municipalities’ in which Serbian interests are addressed.” This would result in “a population that has dual citizenship,” Serb and Kosovar. “Our position is it is a legally binding international obligation … that must be implemented,” he added. “That is an objective fact of what is required of Kosovo to move forward in its European integration process.” Asked whether similar mechanisms should be available for Albanians in Kosovo, Escobar said that would depend on talks between the EU, Kosovo and Albania. “I personally believe the best way forward for that community is to insist that its rights and the health of its community be addressed through its relationship with the government that represents them,” he added. As for the prospects of other Balkan nations with complicated historical relationships, such as Bulgaria and North Macedonia, making moves to put their differences behind them, Escobar said: “Both are valued NATO partners and we would like to see them have a peaceful and productive relationship. “I will say … that we are strongly supportive of North Macedonia integrating into the European Union as quickly as possible.”