European Union and US envoys called on Kosovo and Serbia to make concrete progress in EU-brokered talks, AP reports.

EU Special Envoy to the Negotiations Miroslav Lajcak and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar will conclude a three-day visit to Pristina, where they met with local leaders and the international community.

According to Lajcak, the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia will contribute to stability in the region.

The international community expected faster progress in the dialogue in 2021, and we hope that this will also be the case in 2022, he added.

The countries of the Western Balkans are at different stages of the process of integration with the European Union.

Brussels has made it clear to both countries that they will not be able to move forward in their efforts to join the EU until relations are normalized.

Since the EU-brokered talks began 11 years ago, Belgrade and Pristina have agreed on a number of issues, including free passage or trade.

Escobar reiterated that the US administration has strongly supported the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Kosovo. However, both countries must decide how to normalize their relations and what should be discussed.