The U.S. special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic have discussed talks on normalizing diplomatic relations between Belgrade and Kosovo.
The Serbian president's office said in a statement on October 20 that during the meeting in Belgrade, the two analyzed "current developments within the process of normalization of relations with Pristina, possibilities for continuing the dialogue, and finding sustainable solutions."
Kosovo and Serbia fought a bloody war in the late 1990s, with Kosovo eventually declaring independence from Serbia in 2008.
Belgrade -- as well as Russia, China, and five EU member states -- has not recognized its former province's independence and accuses Pristina of suppressing the rights of minority Serbs, who account for 5 percent of Kosovo's 1.8 million population, which is 90 percent Albanian.
Escobar voiced hope that the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo "on all open issues and the comprehensive normalization of relations will continue dynamically and constructively, which is important both for the citizens and for the overall peace, stability, and progress of the region, with a quick conclusion of the negotiations."
Vucic wrote on Instagram that he had an "important conversation with Escobar about all the current events and open issues in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, while insisting on the full implementation of the agreements reached so far, as well as international law."
For the past several years, the EU has mediated negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia to normalize relations, seeking to kickstart their efforts to join the European Union.
Escobar on October 19 told Kosovo television Kanal 10 that Belgrade and Pristina are close to reaching a normalization agreement, noting that European colleagues told him that such a move is "a matter of weeks, not years."
"It is up to the parties and the mediator(s) to determine the deadlines, but it must be quick," Escobar said.
Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia resurfaced in July when Pristina declared that Serbian identity documents and vehicle license plates would no longer be valid on Kosovo territory.
Serbs, who live mostly in northern Kosovo, reacted with fury, putting up roadblocks and firing their guns into the air and in the direction of Kosovo police officers. No one was injured.
Kurti postponed the implementation of the measure after apparent pressure from the West.
During his visit, Escobar is also scheduled to meet with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Petar Petkovic, head of the Kosovo office of the Serbian government.