Serwer views Kosovo as major problem creating association

The Serb Communists community in Kosovo should not have executive competencies and there must be guarantees that the functioning of the state of Kosovo is not blocked, analyst Daniel Cerwer says in an interview for the Voice of America. The commissions of the Serb Community and Kosovo's membership in the UN should be part of a comprehensive agreement on normalising relations between the two countries, says Balkan affairs analyst.

Voice of America: Mr. Serwer, a few days ago in Pristina you said the time has come for a comprehensive agreement on normalising relations with Serbia is coming and Kosovo should be ready for difficult compromises. What are these compromises actually?

Daniel Serwer: It's hard to predict. But, of course, the issue of the Serb Communist Community is an issue for which compromises can be made. There has already been compromise with the Special Court, but there may be further compromises in other ways. If people are found guilty, they must go to The Hague to defend themselves. I think that the international community would like to continue the presence of several Kosovo prosecutors and judges for a longer time, even if EULEX were not there. I think an international presence in the justice system would be desirable, even for Kosovo residents.

Voice of America: You have said that caution should be taken during the establishment of the Serb Communist Community to avoid turning Kosovo into a non-functional state like Bosnia. What are the specific risks you see for Kosovo?

Daniel Serwer: The real danger is to turn the Serb Communist Community into an executive agency with control over a wide range of functions, not only administrative but political within Kosovo, in the same way that Republika Srpska has become a threat to Bosnia's territorial integrity and sovereignty. This is less likely to happen in Kosovo. Kosovo has a better constitution than Bosnia, because Americans realized they had made some mistakes in Bosnia. I think Kosovo has also been more willing to integrate Serbs especially those south of the Iber River, which has been a very successful effort. The situation north of the Iber River is different -- three of these municipalities have been in Serb majority even before the war -- and have been given to Kosovo during Tito's period to increase the number of Serb residents in Kosovo. So there's a kind of awkwardness in the north that doesn't exist among Serbs who are in the south of the country. But, it has become increasingly clear to Kosovo that the presence of Serbs and the Serbian Church in the south is the best guarantee. Therefore, I encourage Kosovars to realize that this presence is important, that it should be preserved and even strengthened if possible.

Voice of America: However, the reality in Kosovo is different. The Serbian list, the largest political party in Kosovo controlled by Belgrade, has threatened to unilaterally announce the establishment of the Serb Communist Community unless Pristina acts. How do you see this threat?

Serwer: I see it as a negotiating tactic. I don't see it as a real possibility. I think you're right, the Serbian List is controlled by Belgrade and there's nothing new about it. The dominant party of Serbs in Kosovo has always been controlled by Belgrade since the war ended. These parties have been different because each president of Serbia wanted to install his own people in Kosovo. This is where Belgrade has to compromise. Belgrade must understand that this approach with Kosovo Serbs is in conflict with its obligations and makes Serbia's efforts for membership in the European Union difficult. People in Kosovo focus on the compromises Kosovo is forced to do, but Belgrade is also forced to compromise. And one thing Belgrade must do is to tell Serbs, they are not left out of sight, but must govern themselves within the constitutional framework of Kosovo.

Voice of America: How will the problem of establishing the Serb Communist Community affect efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement on normalising relations between Pristina and Belgrade, which is a condition for the two countries' progress in the European Union membership process?

Serwer: I think the final agreement should be a package that should include the creation of the Serb Communist Community and other relevant issues related to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo. Thus, part of this package must be Kosovo's membership in the UN, the exchange of diplomatic representatives at the level of ambassadors between Belgrade and Pristina, and must have an agreement for the Kosovo Armed Forces. These are major unresolved issues related to the sovereignty between Belgrade and Pristina. There are several other issues related to sovereignty, such as the presence of EULEX, which is a Pristina and Brussels issue. These sovereignty issues must be resolved before Belgrade thinks about membership in the European Union. This means that these issues should be resolved in 2019 or later in 2020. Problems, which once seemed far away, have suddenly become urgent issues. This is to the advantage of Kosovo. But these will not be easy negotiations, they can be difficult. It is difficult to imagine how some of these issues will be resolved. For example, UN membership depends not only on Serbia's decision. President Vucic understands very well that this should happen, but can he convince Moscow, which wants to destabilise the region as well as possible? I don't know, but there must be some sort of guarantee on this issue before a comprehensive deal is reached. /voa