Kosovo and Serbia began a direct Dialogue in March 2011, under the facilitation and mediation of the European Union. The EU-facilitated Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has sought technical solutions and agreements that promote neighbourly relations between Kosovo and Serbia and help normalize the situation in the northern Kosovo. Acting as a neutral mediator and leveraging the benefits of European integration, the EU hoped to help Kosovo and Serbia find lasting policy solutions for the multi-ethnic northern Kosovo and the relations between Kosovo and Serbia. However many challenges, both technical and political, prevented the successful implementation of agreements that have been reached so far. Parallel structures and institutions in the north, ethnic tensions, and domestic pressures on politicians in both Belgrade and Prishtina have ignited conflict over the northern border and have prevented the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Regardless of the underwhelming successes regarding the implementation of agreements, a number of agreement were reached between March 2011 and early 2012, and the EU  hoped to prompt successful implementation of previous agreements, as well as reach new agreements , as Serbia and a Pro-European Tadic moved toward EU accession talks.