Surroi: Lack of common alternative puts Kosovo on deadlock

The Kosovo Open Society Foundation held the table in the course of the 2015 Forum, titled “Kosovo-Serbia negotiations: A rational approach?”, where the need to identify strategic interests was laid out.

German Ambassador to Kosovo Christian Heldt has pledged positive access to both sides in order to resolve the obstacles that are currently there.

He said it is important to form a broader strategic vision in terms of Kosovo dialogue -- Serbia. Speaking even of Germany's past, he said he understands he cannot move forward when he feels that he has not yet been apologized for the pain caused. Although he said it's time to finally do something for citizens of both countries.

He said dialogue is a process which may have a moderator, but responsibility falls on the parties that dialogue, knowingly on Kosovo and Serbia.

“We need both sides to identify strategic interests in this process, and the international community should not determine interests, this depends on the parties. We must have some kind of ownership from this country and some kind of confidence to enter a bilateral agreement. I think that's how you can enter only after you have strategic interests”, Heldt said.

Even publicist Veton Surroi said the issue today is to the parties, directly to the political spectrum of Kosovo and to civil society to find out what the pillars should be discussed in this dialogue.

According to him, NATO accession, EU and UN membership are very important, but what needs to be done now is to reach an agreement to end the conflict with Serbia.

Kosovo's “Delegation has entered Brussels without authorisation from the Parliament, has entered a process without principles, limits, structure of the negotiating process. We've entered a process that the mediator has determined what the agenda will be, it's been an open opportunity for everyone to create an agenda. Products of a lack of preparation, definition, restructuring, lack of Kosovo demand for this process to be organised in line with Kosovo's needs. The alternative to this issue is simple: the nature of relations between Kosovo and Serbia” must be modified, he said.

Similarly, Surroi stressed that Kosovo needs political unity. “The non-representation of a joint platform, which may even not be public but trusted, puts Kosovo in a deadlock. The question is that political unity should be built between position and opposition”, Surroi said.

Life Krasniqi from KDI said there is no unique position even of a unified majority on what Kosovo wants in these talks.