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Serbia, Kosovo to Reopen Highway, Rail Service

Besim Abazi

   MUNICH - Kosovo and Serbia have signed a deal to reopen a highway and
   resume rail service between them.

   The agreement, signed Friday on the sidelines of the Munich Security
   Conference, was brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy
   for the Belgrade-Pristina talks, Ambassador RichardGrenell.

   Grenellsaid the deal represented"historic progress on economic
   development. Agreements on air, rail and highway connections will
   facilitate the flow of people and goods between Kosovo and Serbia."

   The move cameafter a January deal signed in Berlin to launch direct
   commercial flights between Pristina and Belgrade.

   Kosovo President HashimThaçi, writing on Twitter, called the agreement
   "another milestone! First, the deal on air traffic and today we signed
   the deal on railways and highways between Kosovo and Serbia. A great
   step towards reaching a final peace agreement between two countries."

   Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the deal "will create a
   better future and ensure peace for the coming decades."

   Stalled talks

   European Union-mediated talks between Serbia and Kosovo over
   normalizing relations stalled after the previous Kosovo government
   imposed 100% tariffs on Serbian goods to protest efforts by Belgrade to
   block Kosovo's accession into international organizations.

   Belgrade has said it will not return to the negotiating table until the
   tariffs are lifted.

   Kosovo authorities have been under relentless pressure from Western
   allies to remove the tariffs. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
   appealed for action to new Kosovo Prime Minister AlbinKurti.

   In a letter toKurti, Pompeo said, "Now is the time to realize
   comprehensive normalization with Serbia, centered on mutual
   recognition, which is essential to Kosovo's full international
   recognition."

   "Ending tariffs on goods from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina will be
   important in bringing parties back to [the] negotiating table,"he
   added.

   Kurtihas pledged to abolish the tariffs on Serbian imports,
   butheannounced that he wouldintroduce "measures of full reciprocity in
   trade, politics and economy" with Serbia.

   On Monday, Kosovo will mark its 12th anniversary of independence, which
   has been recognized by more than 110 countries including the United
   States, but not by Serbia and its ally, Russia.

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