Arifi warns dialogue with citizens for Association

The chief of Kosovo's negotiating team in Brussels' talks with Serbia, Avni Arifi, said today that the decision to establish association takes over the Government of Kosovo.

“I believe that soon the process of dialogue with citizens will begin because after the court decision it is difficult to discuss this matter”, Arifi said before the Commission for Foreign Affairs, whose head, Vjosa Osmani, commended him for keeping his word that after each meeting in Brussels will report before the Commission.

The Association Agreement should be in line with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, Arifi added.

He stressed that it is not for the Government to start drafting association, because, according to him, this is a process that wants communication because non-communication has led to 22 confirmed violations at the Constitutional Court.

Arifi said they are not continuing the dialogue but are trying to finish it.

We haven't changed since 2015 and 2016 from what we protested. Our differences have confirmed the Constitutional Court. We haven't talked anything out of the deal. I understand the need and desire of the Serbian side to come out of the agreement, but we do not get out of”, negotiating team chief Avni Arifi stressed before the commission.

Arifi called the three-day talks in Brussels difficult.

Responding to the questions and comments of members of the Commission, Avni Arifi acknowledged that Brussels' dialogue is not entirely technical, but political, as he said, is the case with the Association of Serb Major Communities.

The “is not the same as the topic of Association as the bridge in Mitrovica. We've found the situation like this... It is surprising how topics can be conditioned on the topic of Association”, he said.