Rohan: Nobody gives minorities as many rights as Kosovo

The Austrian diplomat expects Belgrade and Pristina to resume negotiations “because they have to resolve their relations and because there is no alternative process”.

I think the most obvious scenario is normalizing relationships without formal recognition. In 2007, there was a German-German agreement from the 1970s as a model for Kosovo, but Belgrade refused. Now the model could be acceptable to both sides, ” he said in an interview for Info autonomy..

Rohan here refers to the 1972 agreement, which led to the normalisation of relations between then East and Western Germany. The two Germanys then recognised each other as sovereign states and opened bilateral diplomatic missions -- <x0-second-long-long” But they did not establish formal diplomatic relations at the ambassador level. The agreement opened the doors to other countries to recognize them, and in 1973 the two Germanys became members of the United Nations.

In the current negotiation process between Belgrade and Pristina, the most important moment begins with concessions to the Serbian side and with the formation of the association of Serb municipalities in Kosovo, at least if it should be trusted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq.

Albert Rohan says this association will be nothing special.

“Vucciq is forgetting the fact that Ahtisaari's plan was based on a compromise. Kosovo has gained independence, and Serbia has gained the solution to ensuring the survival of the Serb community in Kosovo. No other country has such broad minority rights as in Kosovo. Their goal is to protect the Serb minority. In addition, the Serbian Orthodox Church enjoys privileges and immunitys in protected areas around major religious sites. Kosovo agreed on major concessions when it adopted Ahtisaari's plan; Serbia has done nothing so far. The right of municipalities to co-operate in the form of the Community is in line with the Council of Europe's European Charter of Local Self-government. Such association exists in many countries, including Austria and Germany, and they have a useful advisory role. But, they have no executive power “, Rohan has indicated.

He has said that Kosovo's eventual recognition from Serbia will have no automatic impact in Moscow.

“It is not impossible to think that at one point Serbia accepts for Kosovo's membership in the UN and Russia for its reasons will continue to block it. As far as the US is concerned, they no longer play a leading role in the Balkans, but mainly support what the EU” does, Rohan has said.

Otherwise, Albert Rohan has been the former deputy of Marti Ahtisaari, the UN secretary-general's special envoy in negotiations on Kosovo's final status, which ended in a recommendation that Kosovo gain independence.