19/04/2013 President
Strasbourg, 19.04.2013 – Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and Björn von Sydow (Sweden, SOC), Rapporteur on the situation in Kosovo*, have welcomed the final agreement to normalise relations between Belgrade and Priština, reached today in Brussels following more than six months and ten rounds of intense negotiations between Prime Ministers Dacic and Thaci.
“This agreement represents a major step towards full reconciliation and further enhances the European perspective for the whole region. I trust that this important milestone will strengthen the authorities’ abilities, both in Belgrade and in Priština, to promote good governance, democracy and the rule of law, and I hope that it will open the door to their greater European integration,” said PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon. The President recently made an official visit to Serbia and delivered a speech to the Serbian National Assembly.
“I congratulate both Prime Ministers on their tenacity. We are ready to support the Serbian Parliament and the Kosovo* Assembly to discuss the implication of this agreement for their European future. I hope that this agreement will pave the way for the people of Kosovo* to enjoy the same legal standards and human rights as other people in Europe,” added Björn von Sydow, Rapporteur on the situation in Kosovo*.
* Any references to Kosovo in this text, whether to the territory, institutions or population, shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.