President's adviser: Correcting borders will not create precedent

Renowned French weekly newspaper “Le Journal du Dimanche”, in its latest number, has paid particular attention to Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. According to this medium, time is a crucial issue, despite this Serbian President Vuciq and Kosovo President Thaci refused to hold their negotiations in the presence of European mediator Federica Moghrini.

“However, two weeks ago in Vienna, they had agreed to do everything to reach a peace agreement by the spring of 2019. Without this agreement, both states will not be able to apply for membership in the European Union, and neither will Kosovo be able to join the UN, as its candidacy is being blocked by Russia”, writes “Le Journal du Dimanche”

The French newspaper writes that, however, undeniable progress has been achieved in the dialogue process. According to her, the two citizens have already spent many hours of talks, and this summer they decided to look into a possible exchange of territories, through a border change that would take into account the burden of ethnic minorities.

They learned to respect each other. Their relationship is not based on trust or friendship, but on the need to discuss and negotiate in favour of a stable and peaceful agreement”, Bekim Colak, former Kosovo Minister for European Integration and one of the chief negotiators of the Pristina delegation, writes “Le Journal du Dimanche”

According to him, during these years of dialogue they have learned to respect each other and have come to understand that they must show responsibility and courage if they want to gain public approval within their respective states for a peace agreement that has long been thought impossible.

Colak has also been asked about the final agreement, support for the US and France's border correction, as well as for Germany's opposition, which fears Kosovo could serve as a model for reorganisation of borders of other states in the Balkans.

But the funk for “Le Journal du Dimanche” has denied that this could happen. He has stressed that the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia will create long-term peace.

“We do not believe that the correction of our border with Serbia will serve as a pretext for other countries in the region to modify their” borders, Bekim Colak adds.

He has said that the last phase for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia should start as soon as possible.

But this will prove that this change can be negotiated successfully and peacefully”.