- Title: Austria will support any agreement between Serbia and Kosovo - Kurz
- Date: 6th November 2018
- Summary: PRISTINA, KOSOVO (NOVEMBER 6, 2018) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR SEBASTIAN KURZ AND KOSOVO PRESIDENT HASHIM THACI ARRIVING AND WALKING IN FRONT OF FLAGS KURZ AND THACI SHAKING HANDS KURZ AND THACI LEAVING ROOM KURZ AND THACI ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE KURZ AND THACI WALKING UP TO PODIUMS (SOUNDBITE) (German) AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR, SEBASTIAN KURZ, SAYING: "The Austrian government will support any agreement that is reached between Belgrade and Pristina. We are firmly convinced that if an agreement is reached no one should stand in the way of it. And there will therefore be full support from our side and I also assume that there will be full support for an agreement within the European Union even if it includes a land swap or border shift, regardless of what they want to call it." VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) KOSOVO PRESIDENT, HASHIM THACI, SAYING: "One thing is clear: without a normalisation of the relations between Kosovo and Serbia, without a peaceful agreement, and without reciprocal recognition neither Kosovo or Serbia will not have a secure European future." CAMERA OPERATORS FILMING VARIOUS OF KURZ AND THACI LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE KURZ AND THACI SHAKING HANDS AND SITTING DOWN FOR MEETING KURZ TALKING AND SMILING THACI TALKING AND SMILING KURZ AND THACI TALKING, MEDIA FILMING PEOPLE WALKING BY EXTERIOR OF KOSOVO PRESIDENCY AND PARLIAMENT BUILDING
- Embargoed: 20th November 2018 12:31
- Keywords: Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz Kosovo President Hashim Thaci Austrian Presidency of the EU Western Balkans EU enlargement
- Location: PRISTINA, KOSOVO
- City: PRISTINA, KOSOVO
- Country: Kosovo
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00195DBD4P
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said his government would support any agreement to normalise relations between Serbia and Kosovo while on a visit to Pristina on Tuesday (November 6).
At a news conference with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, Kurz said he expected there would be European Union support for an agreement, even if it included land swaps or redrawing borders.
However the idea, first raised by Belgrade and Pristina in August, was criticised by Germany and other EU member states who said they feared it would fan ethnic tensions.
Normalising bilateral relations is a key condition for both Serbia and Kosovo to advance towards their eventual goal of EU membership. The Balkan neighbours agreed in 2013 to resolve all pending issues but have so far made little progress.
Kosovo, whose population of 1.8 million is mainly ethnic Albanian, declared independence from Belgrade in 2008, almost a decade after NATO air strikes ousted Serbian forces and halted a crackdown on ethnic Albanians during a two-year counter-insurgency.
It is now recognised by more than 100 nations but not by Serbia, Russia and five EU states, including Spain. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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