Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for Kosovo and Serbia to reach an agreement to normalise relations between those countries; and whether they will endorse any bilateral agreements reached.

We assess that an agreement to normalise relations between the two countries can and should be reached through the EU-facilitated dialogue. We are pressing Kosovo to set out the steps it plans to take to revoke or suspend its 100 per cent tariffs on imports from Serbia. We are urging both Governments to re-commit themselves to the EU-facilitated dialogue, and to allow negotiations to resume so that a comprehensive, sustainable agreement can be reached that addresses outstanding issues, enhances regional stability and is supported by the citizens in both countries. I also stressed the importance of reaching an agreement during my recent visit to Belgrade during my meeting with the Foreign Minister.