A spokesman for the U.S. State Department, Ned Price, commenting on Wednesday on the European plan for Kosovo and Serbia, said that it has the full support of the United States.

“We refer to it as the EU dialogue, but it is something that has our strong support. I think we’ve seen that during this administration. Just last week, our deputy assistant secretary, Gabe Escobar, with high representatives of the EU – Germany, France, and Italy – conducted a joint mission in Pristina and Belgrade to discuss the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia,” Price said.

He said that the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia, “emphasized the possibilities of the proposal, emphasized the urgency of rapid progress to avoid the risk of further escalation”.

Price said that the U.S., together with its partners in the EU, expects the parties to fulfill their responsibilities.

“Both Kosovo, as well as Serbia in this case, must implement the agreements they have signed through this dialogue process, including the progress on the establishment of the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian Majority, and we strongly encourage the Kosovo Serbs to return to the institutions of Kosovo as soon as possible to improve security and stability for all citizens,” he stressed.

These, he said, are the messages that Kosovo and Serbia are hearing from the USA, they are also hearing from the EU, they are hearing from the EU member states, in this case from the delegation that visited Kosovo and Serbia days ago. So, he said, “we are very supportive of this process”.

Price added that the U.S. approach to conflicts and tensions around the world is often consistent with its approach to the Balkan region.

“We support in some cases local solutions and in others regional solutions. The U.S. provides its support when and how we consider it to be most effective. And in this case, the EU dialogue, we believe, has the potential to be an effective tool to reduce tensions and resolve the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia and bring higher levels of stability, prosperity, and opportunities for both peoples,” Price said.