The spokesperson for the European Union, Peter Stano, addressed the issue of the declaration on missing persons agreed upon by Kosovo and Serbia last year during his most recent press conference. However, he noted that the agreement has yet to be implemented.
Stano explained that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti approved the joint declaration on this matter in May last year. Nevertheless, as he stated, its implementation has not occurred.
“This issue is of great importance to people because it involves individuals and is deeply significant for the families of those who are still missing. I would like to remind everyone that in May 2023, President Vučić and Prime Minister Kurti adopted a joint declaration precisely on this matter. The declaration includes measures such as the exchange of information, the joint identification of burial sites, and the effective follow-up of excavations. Unfortunately, the implementation of this joint declaration has yet to begin,” Stano said.
The EU spokesperson emphasized that the topic was also discussed during the October 24 meeting and stated that they expect responses to move forward.
Stano underlined that the issue of missing persons, as well as dialogue in general, affects people in both Kosovo and Serbia.
“This will only happen when the parties agree on the terms of reference for the joint commission. This has not yet occurred. The issue was discussed during the chief negotiators’ meeting on October 24 in Brussels. While an agreement has not been reached, it is within reach, and we are still awaiting responses on several aspects. We hope to receive these responses soon so that progress can be made. As I said, this particular issue, and the dialogue as a whole, affects people in Kosovo and Serbia. But the issue of missing persons has a very strong human dimension and must be advanced as soon as possible,” Stano concluded during the press conference.
