Fear of new compromises with Serbia

While it has already been warned that both countries -- Kosovo and Serbia -- will have to enter the last phase of dialogue for normalising relations between them, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci -- days ago declared that for Kosovo, dialogue has no alternative.

President Thaci has stressed that “will work for compromise and reach the final agreement that for Kosovo implies membership in the United Nations and mutual recognition”.

But can Kosovo make new compromises in dialogue with Serbia?

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj, from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, tells Radio Free Europe that President Thaci's statement speaks of what the dialogue process with Serbia may be difficult and more unknown, and especially about how much Serbia will be able to recognise Kosovo as an independent state and whether the Security Council of the United Nations will enable Kosovo to be part of the United Nations.

There's more to it than there's a word in terms of compromise. I think that Kosovo has met every requirement the Serb community has had in Kosovo. We are not interested in either internal division through a Serbian territorial entity in the Republic of Kosovo, but neither should we have a situation where we will have to enter into an approach where Belgrade and (Serbia's president, Aleksandar) Vuchic, require rewards for the possible decision they can take to recognise Kosovo as sovereign and independent”, Hoxhaj said.

Agim Veliu, deputy chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo, speaking of Radio Free Europe, stresses that Kosovo has so far made enough compromises and that if new compromises are required that could harm the functionality of the state, such would be unacceptable.

“I can understand that any dialogue is difficult and specifically dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is difficult and serious to complete. However, as far as compromises are concerned, I think that Kosovo has nothing more to do with compromises, because it has done enough. Ahtisaari's package is a certain compromise on its own. So, I don't think Kosovo has room for compromise”, Veliu said.

Life Krasniqi, analyst from the Kosovo Democratic Institute, tells Radio Free Europe that through the process of dialogue, Kosovo must end all problems with Serbia, remove its presence from the country, and make the best integration of Kosovo Serbs into institutional and social life. But according to her, within this process, no compromise that would violate Kosovo's territorial integrity, its sovereignty, as well as internal functioning as unitary state should be allowed to happen.

Nothing that violates the functioning of the state of Kosovo should be allowed. What if achieved (any compromise), then we as a civil society will be against compromises that violate the unitary functioning of the state of Kosovo or violating the territorial integrity of the state of Kosovo. But I believe that neither parties, which are also represented in the Kosovo Assembly, as they should, as we know, two-thirds of the vote, to ratify an agreement on the Kosovo Assembly”, Krasniqi stressed.

However, the end of the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia is expected to be concluded with a legally binding agreement on the parties. President Thaci has stressed that the European Union's request for both sides is “to close all open issues”.