Poles still no step to correct Kosovo border

In March of this year, after 3 years of procrastination, the Kosovo Assembly approved the demarcation agreement with Montenegro.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci had later announced on reaching a common position for revising the demarcation agreement with Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic. Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has said that the new agreement sets out reviewing the part of the deal related to determining the borders of two problematic areas -- Chuckorri and Julep.

Both have said they have agreed to address and correct the eventual errors specified in the joint declaration for border demarcation between Kosovo and Montenegro, writes Koha.net.

The Kosovo government said that correcting the border line with Montenegro will take place before the anticipated deadline -- so sooner than within two years. But such a thing has not yet begun.

The chief of the Information Office at Ramush Haradinaj Government, Halil Matoshi, has said he expects such a thing to begin soon.

“The correcting of the border towards the Tower and Chuckorit will start soon under the agreement between the two states. The state commission for border line assignment and management has drafted the strategy for this process and believes it will be completed in the deadline”, Matosi has said in an answer to Koha.net.

On 4 June, Kosovo's ambassador to Montenegro, Skender Durmishi, has handed over to the Montenegrin side the verbal note of the Kosovo Foreign Ministry, which has confirmed that Kosovo has completed the legal internal procedures needed for the entry into force of the state border agreement between the two countries. The deal went into effect that very day.

Even the head of the State Commission for Marking and Maintaining the Kosovo State Border, Montenegro, Speed Bulqi, told Koha.net that the Kosovar side is ready for talks when it comes to mending the border line. However, no meeting has yet taken place.

What I can tell you is that so far the commission I am part of is only dealing with internal technical issues and has worked on preparing the strategy for how to approach this process because the central executive institutions (government) complete interstate diplomatic procedures. A week ago the announcement was made to the Montenegrin side by verbal note that Kosovo has ratified the bill/agreement. In the law, either the agreement between the presidents is mentioned as the possibility of correction, so whenever conditions are created we will be ready. While for deadlines I have nothing to add because it is more diplomatic issues and it does not depend on the commission, but on other institutions”, Bulqi said.

Bulliqi indicated that with the Montenegrin side so far they have not held a direct meeting.

As for the correction of the border line, Bulliqi said he believes it will happen whenever the legal-diplomatic deadlines under international law are met.

Also, once our respective institutions instruct us we will be willing to continue our work under the mandate we have”, Bulliqi concluded.

We remember that under this agreement, the State Border Commissions between Montenegro and Kosovo are expected to form a joint processing body that will be responsible for conducting the state border demarcation between the two states.