The United States Representative to the United Nations Security Council, John Kelley, stated that Kosovo and Serbia must work to ease tensions, emphasizing that the final goal should be mutual recognition, Reporteri.net reports.
Kelley underlined that the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is essential for the stability of the Western Balkans.
“Kosovo and Serbia must work on reducing tensions, refrain from escalatory rhetoric between themselves and in their region, to build a more prosperous future. The ultimate goal must be mutual recognition. The normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is essential for the entire Western Balkans. America and the global community are safer when countries resolve conflicts peacefully,” Kelley declared.
Regarding the UNMIK mission, the U.S. representative said that the time has come for it to conclude its mandate. He further noted that the U.S. seeks to cut unnecessary expenses, highlighting that 89% of UNMIK’s budget goes toward staff salaries.
“It is time to close UNMIK. We recommend that UNMIK begin transferring its functions to other UN agencies… so that the process toward ending the mission is gradual and not abrupt,” he said.
