The European Parliament has for the first time said that the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia should be "based on mutual recognition".

This assessment was presented during the vote on the amendment in the final report on Serbia in the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET).

50 AFET members voted for this report, five were against and three abstained.

In addition to relations with Kosovo and the rule of law in the country, the voted report also includes harmonization with sanctions policies against Russia, as a determinant of Serbia's overall progress in the EU membership process.

Authorities in Belgrade are being asked to "show genuine commitment to EU values ​​and to align with EU decisions and positions on foreign and security policy, including sanctions against Russia".

Vladimir Bilcik, the Permanent Rapporteur for Serbia in the EP and the author of the text, said after the vote that his wish was that after the April elections and the war of Russian aggression, partners in Serbia realize how urgent it is to go their own way. European.

"More can be done to move resolutely towards the EU, and as EP rapporteur I am ready to work together with the new leadership in Belgrade to help achieve positive change for a European Serbia," Bilcik said. , writes Rel.

Serbian authorities are also urged to act against the glorification of convicted war criminals and to stop any rhetoric and action that violates the integrity of neighboring countries and endangers regional stability and reconciliation.

He has complained of continuing pressure on the judiciary and public denial of international war crimes trials.

He called on the newly elected majority to strengthen guarantees for the independence and efficiency of the Judiciary as a matter of priority.

The voted report will be presented at the EP plenary session in July, when this version of the text will take the form of a European Parliament resolution.

Reports on Kosovo

On Tuesday, the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs will discuss the reports on Kosovo, including the hundreds of amendments that have been proposed to be included in these reports.

In the draft report previously presented by the rapporteur for Kosovo in this body, Viola von Cramon, it is reiterated that Kosovo has met all the criteria for visa liberalization since 2018, but the decision on freedom of movement has not yet been approved. .

The text of this document calls on the EU Council to urgently take the decision on visa liberalization for the citizens of Kosovo.

The document also includes support for Kosovo's application for membership in the Council of Europe, Kosovo's aspirations to join the European Union, as well as calls for the five member states of the European bloc, which have not yet recognized Kosovo's independence, to do so.

Kosovo is invited to continue the reform process, the fight against organized crime and corruption, although it is noted that Kosovo has made progress in this regard.

According to the document, the European Parliament is pleased that Kosovo has joined all EU positions on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, has announced sanctions, and with a special resolution in the Assembly has condemned this aggression.

However, Kosovo has been criticized for the situation in the judiciary.

Concern has been expressed on the grounds that the judiciary continues to be inefficient and sensitive to political interference.

In this regard, the proposal for the reform of the prosecution was welcomed and it was requested that the opinion of the Venice Commission be taken into account.

More than 300 amendments have been submitted to the report on Kosovo.

A large number of them were presented by some deputies from Spain, who proposed that all references that treat Kosovo as a state be removed from the report.

Meanwhile, some MPs from the far right, mostly from France and Germany, have proposed that, instead of calling for visa liberalization, it be said that "visas should not be liberalized in the near future."

Following the vote in the Foreign Affairs Committee, the reports on the three countries will be discussed and adopted as resolutions of the European Parliament.

These resolutions have political weight, but are not binding on EU member states.

/ Rel /