Washington D.C. documents

Statements of intent
Date of signing : September 4th 2020

Status of the agreement:
The implementation process started

Parties / delegations

Aleksandar Vucic
President of Serbia

Donald Trump
President of the United States

Avdulah Hoti
Prime Minister of Kosovo *

Officials

Aleksandar Vucic
President of Serbia

Ana Brnabić
Prime Minister of Serbia

Hashim Thaci
President of Kosovo *

Avdulah Hoti
Prime Minister of Kosovo *

Background:

Signing these documents was the climax of one-year endeavors of Trump’s administration, headed by Richard Grennel, to change the dynamics of the normalization process between Serbia and Kosovo*. Ahead of the meeting, we heard different expectations. The Priština side was decided in claiming that the only goal was mutual recognition. Richard Grennel said it was solely an economic agreement. President Vučić also made references to an economic agreement, but also announced difficult negotiations and vouched he would never sign the recognition of Kosovo*’s independence.

The leaders of the two parties did not sign an agreement on economic relations normalization, or bilateral agreements with the United States of America. The United States did not sign either an agreement or an engagement letter. President Donald Trump signed a letter quite common in diplomatic communication of heads of state or government (without any formal obligation for the USA). Out 16 points, 8 have no connection to the “economic normalization of relations” between Belgrade and Priština. Also, at least 5 out of 16 points of the agreement had already been the subject of discussion within the EU-sponsored dialogue in Brussels.

The essential points of the agreement

Not implemented

Both sides will implement the Belgrade-Pristina highway agreement, previously signed on February 14, 2020.

Not implemented

Both sides will join and take full advantage of the “Mini-Schengen Zone” announced by Serbia, Albania and Northern Macedonia in October 2019.

Not implemented

Both sides will implement the Belgrade-Pristina railway agreement, previously signed on February 14, 2020.

Partially implemented

Kosovo [Pristina] and Serbia [Belgrade] will work with the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and on a memorandum of understanding. understanding and agree on the operationalization of the following:
a) Peace Highway
b) Railway connections between Merdar and Pristina
c) Railway connections between Nis and Pristina
d) Providing finance that will support loans necessary for small and medium enterprises
e) Additional bilateral projects
f) Full international presence of DFC in Belgrade

Implemented

Both sides will open and operationalize the facility at the joint Merdare crossing.

Not implemented

Both sides will recognize diplomas and professional certificates from each other.

Not implemented

Both sides will agree to work with the U.S. Department of Energy, and other relevant U.S. government entities on a feasibility study to share Lake Gazivoda as a reliable source of water and energy supply.

Not implemented

Both sides will diversify their energy sources.

Not implemented

Both parties will prohibit the use of 5G equipment procured by unverified suppliers in their communication networks. In cases where such equipment already exists, both parties undertake to remove and other timely mediation procedures.

Not implemented

Both sides will step up vetting of air passengers, sharing information with each other and in broader co-operation with the US in the Balkans, and will commit to advancing technology to combat illicit activities by implementing and operationalizing a vetting and information system provided by the US , including PISCES, APIS, ATS-G, and SRTP.

Not implemented

Both sides vow to protect and promote religious freedoms, including renewed interfaith communication, protection of religious sites and the implementation of court decisions relating to the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as unhindered restitution of Holocaust-era Jewish property that is not claimed or inherited.

Not implemented

Both sides promise to speed up efforts to find and identify the remains of missing persons. Both sides commit to identifying and implementing long-term sustainable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons. Both sides undertake to identify a liaison officer who will lead these activities within the ministries of their governments, coordinate between Belgrade and Pristina, and submit an annual report on the number of resolved cases, and the number of cases still pending.

Not implemented

Both sides will work with 69 countries that criminalize homosexuality to pressure decriminalization.

Not implemented

Both sides promise to categorize Hezbollah, in its entirety, as a terrorist organization, and to fully implement measures to limit Hezbollah’s operations and financial activities within the jurisdiction of each party.

Implemented

Kosovo [Pristina] will agree to implement a one-year moratorium on applying for membership in international organizations. Serbia [Belgrade] will agree to a one-year moratorium on the recognition withdrawal campaign, and will refrain from formal and informal demands to any state or international organization not to recognize Kosovo [Pristina] as an independent state.

Document signed by Aleksandar Vučić – President of Serbia

Partially implemented

Serbia [Belgrade] agrees to open a representative office of the Chamber of Commerce and the State Office in Jerusalem on September 20, 2020, and move the embassy to Jerusalem by July 1, 2021.

Document signed by Avdulah Hoti – Prime Minister of Kosovo *

Implemented

Kosovo [Pristina] and Israel agree to recognize each other.

Review of the original document signed by the Serbian delegation

Review of the original document signed by the Kosovo* delegation

Link to the text of the agreement signed by the Serbian delegation in the following languages