Kosovo ratifies agreement to normalize relations with Serbia

The Kosovo assembly on Thursday ratified an agreement to normalize relations with Serbia. The agreement was reached during a European Union (EU)-facilitated dialogue in Brussels on April 19. Amid a tense atmosphere, parliament members from the opposition self-determination party tried to prevent the vote inside the assembly. However, 84 MPs voted in favor, three against and one abstained in the 120-seat assembly. Meanwhile, supporters clashed with police outside the building in an attempt to block the ratification. A total of 17 policemen were injured, and over 60 protesters were arrested. Earlier in the day, Kosovo leader Hashim Thaci attended the session urging parliamentarians to ratify the deal, saying the deal was in accordance with the constitution of Kosovo and it opened the door to stability. Thaci and Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic have been directly involved in the process of normalizing relations, which in essence is about the disputed Serb-dominated Kosovo north. Pristina failed to extend its authority in this region because of fierce opposition by the local population. The deal envisages the establishment of an association for Serb-dominated municipalities in Kosovo with some additional executive powers. One of them is the election of a regional police commander in coordination with governments in Belgrade and Pristina. The agreement is considered a breakthrough in Kosovo-Serbia relations. The EU is expected to notify this progress on Friday by setting the date for Serbia to start EU accession talks and to deliver to Kosovo the official Stabilisation and Association Agreement -- the first step to becoming an EU candidate member. Kosovo, a Serbian province, unilaterally declared independence in 2008. Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo as an independent country. However, the EU set it as a precondition for Serbia\'s EU aspirations that the country must normalize relations with neighbors, especially Kosovo.