Kosovo deal on ties with Serbia ‘possible this year’ – Thaci

Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci said on Friday he was hopeful about reaching a deal with Serbia this year on normalizing ties. Last month, tensions in the region spiked following Kosovan police operations in a region that is mainly populated by Serbs.

The process of trying to normalize ties “is now in crisis, which brings opportunity for final agreement,” Thaci told the Globsec conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. “I believe this agreement can be reached this year,” he was quoted as saying.

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, speaking at the same event, said he was more pessimistic but that both sides must keep seeking a compromise.

On May 27, Vucic told parliament during a special session dedicated to Kosovo: “We lost the territory,” according to Reuters. Kosovo’s independence is not recognized by Serbia, five EU member states, Russia, China and others.