Rama calls on Vucic to recognize the independence of Kosovo

Tirana, 15 August 2017 (MIA) - Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama called on Serbia to recognize the independence of Kosovo, saying it would be a simple solution to the problems which Serbs and Albanians face in the Balkans. This was Rama's response to the initiated dialogue which Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia needs to have with itself, over its role in the region.
"I greatly respect the initiative from Aleksandar Vucic for an internal dialogue over Kosovo, that would allow it to directly and unconventionally face with its past", said Rama. Kosovo seceded from Serbia in the 1999 Kosovo War, and officially declared independence in 2008, winning recognition from many Western and some Muslim countries, but is blocked from joining the United Nations due to a veto from Russia.
Serbia and Kosovo, and to a lesser extent Albania, have their European Union accession conditioned on maintaining good relations in the region and coming to terms with the hostilities of the past.