PRISTINA
Forthcoming local elections in Kosovo are a “key for the future of Kosovo and a very important element for the implementation of the April agreement with Serbia,” EU High Commissioner for foreign policy Catherine Ashton said on Thursday.
"I would like to stress the contribution of the OSCE whose role led us to where we are today," Ashton said, adding that elections are the beginning of the process of dialogue led by “two brave prime ministers.”
Kosovo's local elections scheduled for November 3 are the first ever which will include the entire population.
“Today, I call upon them to show the vision and courage to secure safe and fair elections. The EU will follow the voting process in details. I call upon both leaders to deal with all the remaining issues before November 3,” Ashton concluded.
At the same time, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci expressed his conviction that local elections will be fair, and that the process will lay the path toward the EU.
Thaci and Serbian PM Ivica Dacic, under the supervision of Ashton, agreed in April to normalize relations, one step toward which is the organisation of local elections.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 despite Serbia still not recognising Kosovo's sovereignty.
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