Kosovo's prime minister Albin Kurti said on Monday he accepted a proposed European Union plan aimed at normalizing relations with Serbia despite concerns over Western demands to give more rights to local Serbs that have so far hindered a peace deal.
Last month, Western envoys told Kosovo and Serbia they should state whether they accept an 11-point plan meant to defuse tensions lingering since the 1998-99 war or face repercussions from the EU and United States. The 11-point plan calls for the implementation of past deals, including the creation of an association of semi-autonomous Serb-majority municipalities that Kurti has opposed, saying it would effectively partition the country along ethnic lines, a criticism rejected by Western mediators.
The proposed 11-point deal would not require Serbia to recognize the independence of its former province, but Belgrade would have to stop lobbying against Kosovo's membership in international bodies. The two countries would also have to open representative offices in each other's capitals and work on resolving outstanding issues.
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