PRISTINA (Kosovo), December 19 (SeeNews) – US President Donald Trump, in a letter to his Kosovo counterpart Hashim Thaci, urged Kosovo's leaders to seize the moment and reach a reconciliation agreement with Serbia, Kosovo's northern neighbour which does not recognise its independence.
“I welcome your current reconciliation efforts with Serbia. Failure to capitalise on this unique opportunity would be a tragic setback, as another chance for a comprehensive peace is unlikely to occur again soon,” Trump said a letter posted on the Kosovo President's website.
“I urge you and the leaders of Kosovo to seize this unique moment, speak with a unified voice during the peace talks, and refrain from actions that would make an agreement more difficult to achieve,” Trump added.
Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia rose last week when Kosovo's parliament adopted three laws initiating the process of the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into a professional army.
The letter also said Trump is looking forward to hosting Thaci and Serbian President Aleksander Vucic at the White House "to celebrate what would be an historic accord."
"We stand ready to assist your efforts to reach an agreement that balances the interests of both Kosovo and Serbia," Trump noted.
Late on Monday, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean Pierre Lacroix, said Serbia and Kosovo need to find ways to re-engage in the dialogue aimed at the normalisation of their relations.
Kosovo, considered a potential candidate for EU membership by the European Commission, unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has so far has been recognised by more than half of the 193 UN member states.