Serbia and Kosovo's presidents announced US-brokered deals on Friday to work on building road and rail links between their capitals, the latest transport agreement between former war foes who rarely find common ground. The letters of intention were inked in Germany alongside the US ambassador to Berlin, Richard Grenell, who was appointed by President Donald Trump to work on Serbia and Kosovo's troubled relationship.
Last month Grenell also mediated an agreement towards restoring a flight between the two capitals, a link that was dropped during the 1998-99 war in which Kosovo, a former Serbian province, broke away from Belgrade. "Another milestone!" Kosovo President Hashim Thaci wrote on Twitter after the signing that took place ahead of the Munich Security Conference, thanking Trump for his "leadership". Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic also expressed gratitude towards the Americans. "We feel that this will bring us a better future and that we will ensure peace for decades to come," he wrote on Twitter. Spokespersons for the two presidents did not respond to requests for comment on the details of the agreement.
While the deals are mostly symbolic at this stage, the signing ceremony is nevertheless a rare moment of cooperation between two leaders who have refused return to the negotiation table for over a year.
EU-led talks between the two men broke down after Kosovo slapped a 100 percent tariff on Serbian goods in late 2018, which it refuses to lift despite heavy pressure from Washington. When it comes to transport, there is currently a train linking a small city in central Serbia to a northern Kosovo town, but no complete Belgrade-Pristina passenger line. Most people travel by car and bus over small and poorly maintained roads that cross the border.
At the heart of the neighbours' dispute is Belgrade's refusal to accept the independence that Kosovo, whose population is mainly ethnic Albanian, declared in 2008. While the US and most of Western Europe backed the move, Belgrade's allies Moscow and Beijing have not, effectively barring Kosovo from the United Nations.
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