The European External Action Service has announced late today the outcome of the meeting between Kosovo and Serbia, mediated by Miroslav Lajčák.
In the statement, it is mentioned that after extensive negotiations led by Lajčák, the chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia, Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petković, “agreed in Brussels on the terms of reference for the establishment of a Joint Commission on Missing Persons, based on the Declaration on Missing Persons approved by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on May 2, 2023.”
It is stated that the Joint Commission, chaired by Lajčák, will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Declaration on Missing Persons.
In particular, the commission will monitor cooperation between the parties on several issues, including:
- Identifying burial sites and subsequent excavations;
- Access to accurate and reliable information, including all relevant local and international documentation, satellite data, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and advanced technologies for detecting mass graves;
- Respect for the rights of the families of missing persons.
The Joint Commission will also monitor and support Kosovo and Serbia in advancing their cooperation under the Working Group on Missing Persons, chaired by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“The EU welcomes that Kosovo and Serbia reaffirmed that the issue of Missing Persons is a humanitarian concern and emphasized the urgent need for further efforts to resolve cases for the affected families and the wider community. Out of the 6,065 missing persons’ cases between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2000, 1,607 remain unresolved,” the statement reads.
“The EU commends both parties for their engagement and constructive approach, which made today’s result possible. The EU facilitator invited the parties to appoint their respective representatives for the first meeting by mid-January next year, as defined in the Terms of Reference,” the statement continues.
The EU stated that today’s progress is an important step forward in normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia and implementing the 2023 Agreement on the Road to Normalization.
“It is in the direct interest of the people in both Kosovo and Serbia. The EU calls on both parties to begin the full implementation of the Agreement,” the statement from the EU External Action Service concludes.
