“Special Court is in exchange for integration and Army”

Such comments, President Thaci, has made them Wednesday in Pristina, during a meeting with the president of the Republic of Albania, Ilir Meta.

President Thaci has said that he takes a firm stand that establishing the Special Court for War Crimes in Kosovo is the best solution he and the country's leadership have made, in the context of international circumstances and context, at the time the decision to establish the court has been made.

According to him, this has been the solution in the face of another possibility that the issue of establishing this court be carried to the UN Security Council.

So my concern is not with the Special Court, despite its effects. But it has to do with Kosovo's burdened situation and the tangible, practical lack of perspective in the Euro-Atlantic family. I invite you all, as a medium, with the highest respect, to represent what we declare, exactly what we write, exactly. So neither regret nor exchange, no matter where my vocabulary was, but in the jargon media”.

However, President Thaci, during the presentation of the report on public perception about the Special Court, organised by several nongovernmental organisations in Pristina on Monday, had declared he had received promises from the international community.

“To maintain strategic partnership with the United States, the European Union and NATO, I agreed to lead an unfair historical process towards Kosovo, despite massive political and civic opinion towards this court. We were promised by the international community that we could apply for quick membership in the Council of Europe, which would happen visa liberalisation soon, which we will have massive support for U membership NESTO, that we will establish the Kosovo Armed Forces soon and that we will have new recognitions. Kosovo kept its word, founded the court. The international community, none of these promises were realized. On the contrary, Kosovo was hampered by the Euro-Atlantic path”, President Thaci has said.

On the other hand, European integration connoisseurs say that the eventual promises President Thaci says have received from the international community are technically irreplaceable because of the principles with which European mechanisms and separate states operate, which are part of the European Union.

Avni Mazrek, professor of European Law, says that even if hypothetically it claims Kosovo has been given the promises, referred to by President Thaci, their realisation is problematic.

I don't think that's fair articulation, said in this form, when the decision for visa liberalisation is known. I don't know that it's possible that 28 states and 28 representatives that are of the European Union member states can work out such an attitude. Furthermore, it is known that Kosovo, 5 of these 28 states, has not yet recognised it. We're talking hypothetical situations about such a promise. I don't think it's done, but it's not even possible to make it”.

Professor Mazreku says that drastic procedures also exist for membership in the Council of Europe, in which 47 countries are represented. He does not believe 47 members have been able to promise Kosovo.

Meanwhile, according to him, for membership in U. NESCO, support of a much larger number of countries is required.

“The situation is even more complicated, if Kosovo has managed to have a level of representation, respectively of promising that move to guarantee Kosovo's membership in U. NESTO. This is also the same application for other international organisations”.

The US Embassy in Pristina, through a more written answer to Radio Free Europe, has said that the United States is fully dedicated to successful works by Specialised Chambers in The Hague, and supports the fact that Kosovo institutions have co-operated on the issue.

Kosovo's “Co-operation in this process will be concrete evidence of fundamental democratic principles that rule of law applies equally to each citizen. The United States strongly supports Kosovo's membership in international organisations; this progress depends on the specific criteria of each institution, while the United States Government will continue to co-operate closely with Kosovo to meet those “criteria.

The United States is proud of strong support over many years for developing the Kosovo Security Force. We continue to support the gradual professional transformation of this force to the Multiethnic Armed Forces in line with NATO standards and through constitutional changes, in consultation with all communities in Kosovo“, the US Embassy's response to Kosovo is said.

Also through a written response, the Great Britain Embassy in Pristina told Radio Free Europe that this country has given no promises to Kosovo concerning the Special Court and that it is wrong to say otherwise.

“Membership in international organisations is based on specific criteria for membership of those organisations. Great Britain works to provide support for Kosovo's full international integration”.

“Special Court is Kosovo's response to the Martyt report. This has been the important step to show Kosovo's readiness to find the truth in what happened during the” conflict, the Great Britain Embassy's response in Pristina said.