EU notes 'progress' in Kosovo-Serbia talks but more work ahead

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia had endorsed a Brussels peace plan, but needed more talks to agree on how to implement it.

After hosting talks with Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Borrell said the EU would now publish its plan to normalise ties between the foes.

But he admitted that much work would still need to be done to agree on implementing the plan, and that other leaders' meetings would be needed in mid-March.

"Progress was made today, and I commend the parties for their engagement," Borrell said in a brief statement after the talks without the two leaders and without taking questions.

"At the same time more work is needed to ensure that what was accepted today by the parties will be implemented," he said, implicitly confirming there had been no breakthrough.

"It's important to agree. It is still more important to implement what has been agreed, and this is the thing that has still to be finalised," he said at his Brussels office.

Before the talks, a senior European diplomat had said that the parties had already accepted the then-unpublished European plan and that the meeting was to discuss implementation.

Borrel said that EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak would continue "shuttle diplomacy" between Belgrade and Pristina and that a result could be expected before the end of March.