Kadri Veselin warns referendum for agreement with Serbia

In an interview for the prestigious Austrian newspaper Der Standard, he has talked about Kosovo's dialogue and stance regarding this process.

“Dialolog develops between two equal partners. Both sides should mutually respect”, says Wessel.

He considers that a bilateral agreement, which is necessary for the approach of Kosovo and Serbia to the EU, could be possible.

“We are an independent country and we do not discuss our territory and sovereignty”, he says.

Wessel and most other Kosovo politicians oppose a border change.

There's no north and no south in my country, it's a Western country. We only follow what is in our constitution”, he claims.

Wessel rejects undemocratic agreements.

“We are a democracy, so everything will be placed in this Parliament by a two-thirds majority. He says he will have an agreement with Serbia, but a referendum will be organised for that. Citizens will decide on this deal”, Veselin adds.

The Speaker of the Parliament says Serbs and Albanians can live together, within the borders as they now exist. Because otherwise ethnic cleansing can occur, and thus stability in the Balkans will be undermined.

“We don't want in any case, that our situation somewhere in the Balkans has a negative” impact, says Wessel.

He says he is working to keep the future from repeating the past.

I am willing to pay a price and I will not allow my children to experience what I have experienced. All ethnic groups here in the Balkans know what it means to be in the minority, and for that reason we will not allow Serbs to suffer in Kosovo. Kosovo will never be an experiment “, he said.

It also opposes creating a type of “Republika Srpska” in Kosovo.

The “Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of two parts of the country, which has very broad autonomy and is equipped at the national level with numerous veto functions. In 2013, Serbia and Kosovo agreed to form a Serbian Association of Local Authorities in Kosovo. However, this has not been implemented, some are concerned that this Serb community organisation may be similar to a “Republika Srpska”, Veselin concludes.

Wessel believes that a “Republika Srpska” such is also incompatible with the Kosovo Constitution.

This would lead to an ongoing conflict. The establishment of the Serbian Association of Executive Elections would require a constitutional amendment, we cannot accept that and we are to implement the Ahtisaari Plan as well as agreed, but not to exceed it,” he explains.

The Kosovo Parliament has recently voted a so-called “Platform” for dialogue with Serbia.

Wessel says to Standard that “we are already prepared for negotiations, but we will not be under pressure. Serbia must stop financing parallel structures within Kosovo, and this should be taken even more seriously by the EU to increase the” pressure, the coalition leader seeks.