Kosovo to launch talks on self-management of Serbian communities -Borrell

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Kosovo and Serbia have reached an agreement on implementing an EU-backed deal to normalise ties after 12 hours of talks, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said late on Saturday, describing negotiations as difficult.

“Kosovo and Serbia have agreed on the implementation annex of the agreement on the path to normalisation of relations between them,” he told reporters after meeting the leaders of both countries in the North Macedonian town of Ohrid.

Borrell also touched upon a proposed association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo, which would give greater autonomy to Serb majority municipalities, a long disputed topic.

“Kosovo has agreed to launch immediately – and when I am saying immediately, I mean immediately – negotiations with the European Union facilitated dialogue on establishing a specific arrangement and guarantees to ensure an appropriated level of self-management for the Serbian communities in Kosovo,” the EU top diplomat said.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Josie Kao)