Serwer: Do not rush for final agreement with Serbia

In a direct link to today's international expert conference, organised by the KIPRED Institute and the Riinvest Institute, with the support of the Bureau of the Fredrich Elbert (FES) Foundation in Kosovo, to contribute to the building of consensus between key acts in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Serwer has again asked why there is a rush for dialogue between the two countries.

He has said the exchange of territories “would be an admission that neither Belgrade nor Pristina are able to treat citizens properly and equally by law, which represents the main condition for NATO membership and the EU”.

This would result, sooner or later, with the mass shift of Serbs from the south of the Iber River and Albanians from Serbia's territory. Germany, the Netherlands and other EU states would not accept membership for divided states. I do not believe any of the agreements I have seen would be welcomed by the presidents Vuciq and Thaci, or approved in the Belgrade or Pristina parliaments, much less through a referendum in Kosovo. An exchange of territories would destabilise Bosnia, where Milorad Dodik has been clear about his intention to lead Republika Srpska towards secession, should Kosovo divide. An exchange of territories in the Balkans would strengthen Russian claims on the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the secession of Transnistria, Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the annexation of the Crime”, he has said, adding that Kosovo's “membership in the UN would be possible only if Washington issues on these issues, which there is no interest in doing”.

According to Cerwer, the exchanges of territories and people are ideas that could be compared to “zombi”. “en onto the ground, looking for the next victim and cannot be killed because they are already dead. So why is such an idea so much given attention to, and why is such an emergency for finalising an agreement so high? Thaci and Vuci presidents are ethnic nationalists, not liberal Democrats. Ethnic nationalists find it difficult to deal with numeric minorities. If they are equal, what is the benefit of being part of the supposed privileged minority?” has continued.

Serwer has asked why Thaci has changed his mind about the Kosovo fragmentation. That's why he gave an explanation.

Of course it would be best to ask him the question, but my explanation is this: He saw that Belgrade was advancing with this idea in Washington, where we also have an ethnic nationalist administration. John Bolton has opposed Kosovo's independence and would be happy to crush a country favoured by Clinton, which Kosovo is certainly. So when Bolton said he would take into account the ideas for division, if Vuciq and Thaci could agree, President Thaci began to worry that they would take sides and end up with unilateral proposals: northern Kosovo would meet Serbia, without any benefit for Albanians. Therefore, he invited Presevo Albanians to Pristina and made it clear that no unilateral proposal would be passed. It should be mutual. That was reasonable, but it doesn't mean that there really is an acceptable proposal, even that mutual”, has added Cerwer.

Cerwer has also put forth the question that “as the Serbian president could, Vuciq, give up territory in southern Serbia, which Thaci wants, in ignoring concerns about the security of Serbia's main migration to the sea? How can he survive abandoning Serbian communities and religious locations south of Ibër?”, as he added how can Thaci give up on northern Mitrovica and assets like Trepca and Gazivoda.

“How can Thaci give up northern Mitrovica, which was mostly Albanian before the war, as well as Trepca and Gazivoda, the main sources of his state with natural resources, respectively?”

Complex and dangerous has called the ideas of 99-year-old lease contracts, foreign management or extraterritorial status.

I'd like to end it with a question: Why this emergency? I understand Belgrade may feel some pressure for an early solution, as its EU membership is expected to happen several years ago than that of Kosovo. But Kosovo must know that once Serbia enters the final stages of membership, it will have to do all that is required of EU member states. One thing that will surely be required is the complete normalisation of the reports with Pristina. However, I fear that some people in Belgrade and Pristina may have some sense of urgency, due to President Trump's promise of ceremonies at the Rose Garden. It doesn't argue that this is a good case, but let me be clear: the ceremony at Rose Garden does not ensure impunity. I would be happy to see President Vuciq and Thaci reach agreement sooner or later. Kosovo may even want to offer concessions on paying debts to the World Bank and the planned roles of the Kosovo Army, as well as protection for Serbs south of Ibri. But selling your sovereignty for little, or a ceremony at the Rose Garden would be a historic and unforgivable mistake”, is over.