Thaci advisers say final phase has yet to begin

Despite calls by leaders of Kosovo's high institutions for a unity of the political spectrum for dialogue with Serbia, this has not yet been achieved and for more, regarding the possibilities of access to this dialogue, there is controversy even among the institutional leaders themselves.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who has expressed himself ready for, as he has said, “border correction” in the function of reaching a peace agreement with Serbia has not received the support of the entire political spectrum.

However, Ardian Arifaj, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci's adviser, speaking of The REL, says that there is a full consensus in Kosovo concerning there should be dialogue and that at the end of this process, Kosovo gets recognition from Serbia and is sitting in the United Nations. According to him, the way to achieve these purposes must be found.

The president constantly talks about a comprehensive agreement. So, an agreement that brings recognition from Serbia and seats in the United Nations, as well as inclusively, in the sense that it will close all open issues between Kosovo and Serbia, since community rights and so on”, Arifaj stressed.

But, Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has consistently rejected the idea of “overhauling the border” or changing the border. Days earlier, he had stressed that “could have legal agreements for mutual recognition with Serbia, but not territory-based agreements based either on limit”, because according to him, “those are campaigning for division of Kosovo”. On the other hand, Serbia's Prime Minister Anna Brnabyq, the day before he told the London daily Financial Times, that Serbia and Kosovo are far from reaching an inclusive agreement, regardless of readiness, as she put it, for talks concerning the eventual exchange of territories.

You can't say that 10 years ago we've been willing to change borders, but today we can't talk about changes of borders”, Brnabyq told the Financial Times.

Brnabyq has said that even if reconciliation is reached for the exchange of territories, it would not be enough for peace agreements and that it “would have to include human and minority rights, economic co-operation, the long-term co-operation of Serbs and Albanians, language learning and cultural heritage, churches and monasteries”.

A new round of talks in Brussels, the high level of representation, has not yet been invited by the European Union's Office of High Representative, Federica Moghrini, which mediates and facilitates dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels.

Arifaj says the upcoming evental meeting of Kosovo and Serbian officials means a new phase of dialogue.

The “is no longer that phase of both technical and political talks, so even the way of organizing meetings will certainly change. So this dialogue, this final phase, in terms of meetings between the two delegations, has not yet begun. How it will be done remains to determine”, Arifaj said.

Meanwhile, Life Krasniqi from the Kosovo Democratic Institute says the new phase of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, though not yet started, reflects a lot of uncertainty.

“We have a major lack of transparency in terms of what the final phase of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue will contain. It is not clear what the topics will be discussed or are being discussed. We have an idea for border correction. Kosovo's constitution very clearly defines the responsibilities and duties of each institution. Anyone representing Kosovo in the talks must comply with what the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo foresees, issues that can be discussed and the previous issues not discussed”, Krasniqi said.

Krasniqi adds, however, that the lack of a consensus of political spectrum in Kosovo regarding access to dialogue, as well as who will have the leading role in this process, will put Kosovo's side in an unfavourable position of eventual talks, which are expected to end with a legally binding agreement on both countries.