Kosovo Foreign Minister To Visit Serbia

Kosovo's Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj has confirmed he will travel to Serbia to attend an October 23 regional conference, the first such visit since Kosovo unilaterally seceded from Serbia in 2008.

Hoxhaj said an October 22 statement, "This visit is an indicator or the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia as two independent sovereign states."

Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo's independence but Belgrade has agreed to improve ties with its former southern province to further its goal of joining the European Union.

Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on October 22 that his country and Serbia must work to end decades of hostilities and focus on common interests.

Rama was due to visit Serbia on October 22 but the trip was postponed until November after a brawl broke out at a football match between an Albanian and Serbian team last week.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP