Ratification of demarcation goes towards failure

Of these claims, the government has not wavered even after the “allegations --” -- which came to her from President Hashim Thaci, the European Union and recently from the US Embassy in Pristina.

In the Government of Kosovo, they believe the new State Commission for Marking and Maintaining the Border will bring new facts and evidence, which, according to the executive, will show that the existing agreement for demarcation with Montenegro is wrong.

Halil Matoshi, media adviser in Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj's cabinet, told Radio Free Europe that Prime Minister Haradinaj's position is the same despite various statements by local and international officials. Matoshi said there is no change at present, until the State Border Commission's final report is drafted.

The “is expected to mean very soon, the new State Commission to come up with the report on the findings on this issue, and at that time, adequate actions will be studied and undertaken”, Matoshi said.

The State Commission for Marking and Maintaining State Borders, during a presentation to the Parliamentary Commission for European Integrations, has said irregularities in the work of the Prosecution Commission, on which the agreement with Montenegro for demarcation was signed.

The chairman of this Commission, Speedy Bulliqi, has stated that the Commission is doing the job very precisely and that they are close to completing the final report about the findings of the Kosovo-Montenegro border demarcation.

Members of this Commission also stressed that from the findings so far, Kosovo with Montenegro has no demarcation agreement, but there are border agreements.

But, the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, through a statement, has expressed its disappointment by naming the claims of this Commission as groundless, confusing, and fallible.

The existing “Agreement reflects an exact process of determining the border, confirmed by the Kosovo State Commission and numerous internationally recognised experts. Questioning the agreement and stalling the ratification process threaten Kosovo's relations with its neighbours and the EU, leaving Kosovo and its isolated citizens”, the US Embassy's statement noted.

The US Embassy has invited Kosovo politicians to look beyond their party's personal interests and party policy, and to focus on the needs of their citizens by ratifying the existing agreement as soon as possible.

On the other hand, politicologist Ramush Tahiri told Radio Free Europe that there are currently no other options for finding a solution, apart from the existing agreement, which President Thaci signed in 2015.

I understand this request of these deputies or government officials who are wanting them to take over Montenegro. What right will you take your territory? The Berlin Congress agreements are being called, when agreement has been made between Montenegro and Turkey, and when Albanian territories have been lost. It is a historic issue, but it is not a practical issue that today belongs to the heritage of the Republic of Kosovo”, Tahiri said.

Tahiri stresses that the Haradinaj government could send the existing agreement to the Assembly to reject it, but according to him, agreements in Parliament are usually sent to be approved.

The government can send the deal to the Parliament with the intention of bringing down even though the government when sending the laws or agreements to Parliament sends them to pass, not to crash. Unfortunately, the Commission appears to be behaving as before, its members are giving various theories, without ignoring the legal obligation they have for demarcation of the” border line, Tahiri said.

Meanwhile, Halil Matoshi, from the Kosovo prime minister's cabinet, says that until the Commission's work is finished, there is no telling what will happen with the existing agreement.

We do not prejudge an expert commission”, Matosi said.

The new State Commission for Borders has received mandate from Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and the Kosovo Government to make new measurements about border demarcation with Montenegro. The Haradinaj government and the new Commission claim that the agreement with Montenegro for demarcation is wrong and that Kosovo with this agreement has lost territory.

With these findings, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has not agreed, as well as one of the opposition leaders and former Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo.

On the other hand, the European Commission has in some cases repeated it to the prime minister and the Government of Kosovo, that without ratification of the agreement on demarcation with Montenegro, Kosovo cannot benefit from the visa liberalisation process.

On Friday, Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj is expected to stay in Brussels, with whom he will hold meetings with senior EU officials, where, among other things, the topic of discussions is expected to be the issue of the ratification of demarcation and visa liberalisation.