Tahiri: Serbia still thinks it can create Great Serbia

Radio Free Europe: Lady Tahiri, the president and the Kosovo government are warning the start of the final phase of talks. Based on your experience, how long do you expect this process to be completed this year?

Edita Tahiri: It is important that dialogue is going through the final phase, the final phase and the two processes must go parallel. The first, for implementation of remaining agreements where the main responsibility for non-compliance rests with the Serbian side, since Kosovo has consistently fulfilled its obligations and has already begun implementing the Association Agreement. While Serbia has blocked a series of agreements such as energy, the issue of diplomas, cadastres, the prevention of the establishment of state institutions in the north, where former members of the structure that has disappeared “Civil Protection”, then blocked bridges to open, and others.

The third phase must begin and end with mutual recognition between the two states, as a sustainable solution opening the possibility, finally having neighbourly and peaceful relations between the two states and having a better stability and peace in the region.

Radio Free Europe: How much is possible to reach a normalisation agreement between Kosovo and Serbia?

Edita Tahiri: Given that both states aspire to become members of the European Union, while Kosovo also aims at NATO and UN membership, I think it is in interest for both states to close open issues of the past. And, mutual recognition between the two states is not only the result of the historic developments of the former Yugoslavia, where Kosovo has been one of the federal entities, but Kosovo's independence is in accordance with even the most International Law taking into account that the International Court of Justice has confirmed the legality of Kosovo's independence, as well as is a new reality created with the seven new states in the Balkans after the former Yugoslav states died out.

Radio Free Europe: What is the Brussels formula, not the recognition of Kosovo from Serbia, but normalisation of reports?

Edita Tahiri: I don't know about such a formula. And, usually, Brussels plays a mediator in the sense of assisting processes and has never come up with such attitudes. On the other hand, as a “non-recognition formula, it is the wrong formula, because Kosovo and Serbia have had three peaceful processes at the Rambouillet Conference, in Vienna's talks, and this should be the final process closing the hostilities between the two states, but also between the nations -- Albanians and Serbs.

This process opens a chapter of lasting peace, respecting each other and recognising each other as states. Kosovo and Serbia, both have emerged independent states from the undoing process. The time is for Serbia to recognise reality, not only of Kosovo, but of reality throughout the Balkans and to stop several neo-judgmentary scenarios, as has thus proven ideas of changing borders for the purpose of creating Greater Serbia and inspired by dangerous Russian geopolitical agendas.

Radio Free Europe: Is there an atmosphere and political climate in Kosovo for forming a Unity Team, and how much is it necessary for Kosovo's representation in dialogue at this stage?

Edita Tahiri: At this point, when the Kosovo government is the minority government, it seems the situation is not appropriate to create a Unity Team. But from all my experience in Kosovo politics from the time of occupation, the political community in Kosovo has always achieved a common language when it came to state interests. Therefore, I am confident that we should find the strength and be with the vision and strategic attitude so that for the interests of the state and the nation, we can achieve a unity team so that we can also overcome this challenge together, as it has been in Rambouillet and Vienna.

Radio Free Europe: Currently, differences over the formation of association and competencies are being noted. What does forming this association contain under the agreements reached?

Edita Tahiri: In fact, the agreement on Association reached in Brussels is based on the laws and Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. So this Brussels agreement does not give executive competency to the Association of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo.

Despite that, I also heard some statements of the Serbian side, which speaks desirably on issues of executive competence. They, in fact, have not allowed Kosovo to implement the association now three years because they have been aware that the agreement does not provide executive competence for association. I've mentioned these obstacles, in December 2016, that they have put up an illegal wall, then a provocative train, and this year they provoked through Mr. Djuric's illegal entrance and so on.

So Serbia is not interested in implementing the Brussels Association Agreement, while Kosovo has been ready because this agreement, as I said, does not offer executive competence. This agreement is based on Kosovo laws, this agreement calls for the Constitutional Court of Kosovo to verify legitimacy and the Constitutional Court has made and provided a guide on how status should be drafted. All of these stem from Brussels' agreement and are in accordance with the Kosovo Constitution. This Serbia knows, so it has prevented implementation so far in indirect forms.

But I, as former chief negotiator, follow these developments in detail, so I'm saying that it has been Serbia three years since various provocations did not want to implement the agreement. And, on top of that, it is a most dangerous strategy in Serbia, because Serbia has not worked in dialogue since 2016. It has tried to open territories' themes, change of borders, because Serbia still thinks it is possible to create Greater Serbia.