Kosovo expects bilateral recognition in recent phase of dialogue with Serbia

Preparation work for the final phase of dialogue with Serbia in Brussels is continuing, officials of the country's top institutions say. According to them, the latest phase of dialogue for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia would have to end with mutual recognition of the two countries.

Bekim Colak, chief of the cabinet of Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, speaking of Radio Free Europe, says the country's president is working on all plains to build a Unity Team or a comprehensive group, which will represent Kosovo in the phase, as he has called the final dialogue in Brussels. According to him, representatives of parliamentary political parties are meant with the unity group.

“If parliamentary political parties in the Republic of Kosovo can find such a consensus to agree there and issue a joint resolution on the issue, the better. But if not, then why not even the president, as the highest institutional representative and as representative of the unity of the people and political parties, can create the political team for the same purpose. So, whatever form it takes, success is guaranteed. More importantly, it is to have broad political consensus on this issue, while the way this is going to be built, I think it's of secondary importance”, Colak says.

Government officials say the Kosovo Assembly is already approved by a resolution authorising Kosovo's institutional leaders for dialogue with Serbia.

Halil Matosi from Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj's cabinet tells Radio Free Europe that the Government of Kosovo is committed to reaching a consensus among political parties for creating an inclusive group for the country's representation in dialogue with Serbia.

Kosovo's “government, in close co-operation with the institutional leaders of the Parliament and with the president, are building a team, a unified strategy, to resume, respectively, that dialogue with Serbia will enter the final phase, terminating it in time and that its final outcome will be mutual recognition of both states”, Matosi says.

But, representatives of parliamentary political parties in the country have already expressed different opinions about the possibility of creating a comprehensive or unity team for dialogue with Serbia.

As long as the Vetevendosje Movement continues to oppose the unconditional dialogue with Serbia, as well as against Kosovo's representation in the dialogue to lead President Thaci, the Democratic League of Kosovo, has not in principle denied the possibility of creating a comprehensive team. However, according to them, for the level of political representation in the dialogue, the final word should say the Assembly of Kosovo, as well as have expressed the opinion that dialogue should guide the Government rather than the president.

But Colak considers that this approach of opposition parties is wrong, saying Kosovo's Constitution clearly defines the roles of high institutions.

“In this case, dialogue is a matter of foreign policy, and the Constitution clearly defines that foreign policy leads the country's president. However, it would be very welcome if the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo had high political conscience and awareness to reach such a broad consensus on such an important issue, such as dialogue for normalising relations with Serbia. So we welcome such a consensus if it stems from the Parliament. However, if that does not happen, then surely the president of the Republic of Kosovo will not allow such a process to be held hostage because of the dyvergians within the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo”.

Meanwhile, Matoshi says more important is reaching a consensus among parliamentary political parties for dialogue with Serbia than the question of who will lead the team in the dialogue.

It's not very important who will lead the talks. The important thing is that there is an inclusion and we think that the Unity Team should include the parliamentary opposition”.

About two months ago, in a debate organised between the heads of the Kosovo Parliamentary Groups and representatives of civil society, it was required that the legislature have a much more active role in the dialogue process, as well as the agreements reached with Serbia.

Political representation in the dialogue, so far, was at the prime ministers' level, but at the last two meetings -- this year, Hashim Thaci and Aleksandar Vuciq -- have represented Kosovo and Serbia from presidential positions.