Kosovo - EU: A hard, totally fruitless year

The year 2017 did not start properly in Kosovo, where, at the last moment, a escalation of the post-Provikem security situation in northern Kosovo was prevented as a test of Serbia and Russia to exploit the transitional period in the US for the first time on how far it can go.

The year went through some dialogue meetings, as infertile as it did, and prepared me for the future of this dialogue, whose acronym is as unclear as the future. The EU had nothing to offer Kosovo in the year we left behind. The elections in Kosovo influenced chaos even in its reports with the EU, because during the pre-election period there was no courage and political will to implement duties either from the European agenda or dialogue. And after the elections the situation became even more difficult with a rule of about 20 parties.

These are the main developments in Kosovo's reports with the European Union:

At the end of January and early February, two meetings of the high “> ” were held within dialogue. The presidents and prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia met. Unless it was trying to reduce tensions raised following efforts by the Russian “Tren” to spur conflict in northern Kosovo, this meeting was also the start of efforts that the dialog can carry to the level of presidents after Hashim Thaci said he had become president of Kosovo, while Aleksander Vuciqi was expected to take place in Serbia.

NATO downplays Kosovo Army creation hopes

Secretary - General NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, visited Bosnia and Herzegovina and KFOR. Not Kosovo, but KFOR. Because NATO is so regid when Kosovo is mentioned that even visits to Kosovo do not present it as the visit of this state, but the military mission leading there. During this visit, the secretary - general NATO saw Kosovars' hopes for having NATO's blessing to create an army. He said this should be done only with reconciliation with the Kosovo Constitution, which means even with the support of the Serb representatives, and if NATO is done it would have to reconsider its role of supporting the KSF.

Thaqi-Vuciqi for the new “phasis” in dialog

A meeting on the eve of summer holidays and one after their conclusion between the presidents of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci and Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, testified that there have been not only speculation that the dialogue will now be established at the presidential level. Previously the presidents have already known what it was about in the dialogue. Atifete Jahjaga completed her mandate, believing that that dialogue does not address Kosovo's internal issues or the north. But now, Thaci and Vucinqi had changed roles, and the EU was of the opinion that dialogue should be kept at a personal level and should even guide these two people. The problem became soon, though, since Vuciqi continued to be the chief chief in Serbia, with the power to make decisions and implement them if he wants to, Thaci in Kosovo no longer had that power.

In late September, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Haradinaj Government Behgjet Pacolli came to Brussels as the first member of the new government to visit the EU. He announced that demarcation of the border agreement with Montenegro cannot be made to a near future. In this way he acknowledged that hopes of having visa liberalisation in the near future have failed.

EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn and senior representative Moghrin reiterated that to move towards visa liberalisation Kosovo must meet the only remaining two conditions, the fight against corruption and ratification of the border agreement with Montenegro.

Haradinaj's two visits to Brussels

Although he had said he would not leave the state in the first 100 days of his mandate, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj came to EU headquarters in late November to participate in a meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Council. This meeting remained a reminder of tensions that had occurred in it, which caused EU representative Federika Moghrini to cancel the joint press conference. Then I tried to get this to be relatable by saying “the”, even though this conference was part of the agenda.

The second time as Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj came to Brussels on December 18th in a <x0nddarka working” with colleagues from other countries in the region. We learned nothing from him or his associates for meetings, except that Facebook and the website ordered that “was talked about Kosovo processes” and that “Kosovo will get what belongs to”. Kosovo citizens believe they belong to and deserve much, above all visa liberalisation and advancing their state in the EU integration process.

EU enlargement perspective in Ballka, but without concrete clarification for Kosovo

European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, in his speech about the union situation, which he held in the European Parliament, warned that a reliable strategy for EU enlargement will be prepared to Western Balkan countries. After this talk, the European Commission immediately began working on the draft of such a strategy.

It is seen that Montenegro and Serbia, as countries said to be leading the enlargement process, as the only ones from the region are conducting membership negotiations. These two countries, said in the strategy, could become EU members by the end of 2020, at the best opportunity. So other countries, especially Kosovo, can only dream of EU integration in the medium term. For Kosovo, however, there are requirements for Serbia and Kosovo to have a binding legal document for the comprehensive normalisation of the most distant reports by 2019.

As for EU integration, Kosovo must expect new generations when today's politicians -- both in Kosovo and the EU -- will be in the long years of retirement.

The year ended with a real shake in Kosovo's reports with the EU, even though there was no one in Brussels anymore in the office who could react. By chance or deliberately, efforts were made in Kosovo to break up the Special Court at a time when collective holiday of the year had already begun in Brussels. Even from the EU it was said these efforts are dangerous. The EU requires that Kosovo not only not only change the Law for Special, but that its authorities co-operate with it, as if to ensure the extension of EULEX's mandate even after 2018, when its mandate expires.

As for EULEX's internal problems, failures and suspicions of involvement in the various vicinity of the mission's staff, for those EU will make <x0 independent versions”. /Periscope.