America cut out for the Washington Agreement: Kosovo, Serbia hold back

The United States expects Kosovo and Serbia to adhere to the obligations taken in Washington on September 4th 2020.

“We hope that our partners will act with confidence and continue to adhere to obligations undertaken in Washington”, the US State Department for the Voice of America said in response to the Serbian language.

Kosovo and Serbia, on September 4, 2020, have signed at the White House in Washington, two documents for normalising economic reports, in the presence of former US President Donald Trump. The agreement was signed between former Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq.

The implementation of the Washington Agreement provides a basis for future agreements and provides opportunities for broader co-operation between the parties. The obligations taken only bring benefits to the citizens of Serbia and Kosovo, and we encourage them to continue with their implementation”, said the State Department's response.

The agreement, among other things, envisions Kosovo and Serbia's commitment to building road and railway ties to connect their capitals in order to improve the movement of goods and people, developments that could attract Western investments. Under the agreement, Kosovo is obliged to become part of an initiative for free passport movement and tax duties, which will include Albania, Serbia and Northern Macedonia.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, questioned Wednesday after the government's meeting for its implementation, has downplayed other provisions of the Washington Agreement, saying its most important “pika is the last one, which has already been realised”.

It is about mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel.

The United States has handed over to the Government of Kosovo and Serbia last week, the feasibility study for Lake Weyman. This study marks the fulfillment of one of the Washington Agreement commitments.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said it is the task of institutions for Ujman Lake to consider Kosovo's “artificial liver”.

“Our positions regarding Wyman are the same”, Kurti said at a media conference Wednesday (June 30th) following the Kosovo Government's meeting.

The report proposes forming a commission or committee for the Iber River, which would help discuss the possibility of managing water resources between the parties. Weiman is an artificial lake built on the bed of the Iber River in northern Kosovo.

Prime Minister Kurti said that analysis and research can be produced, but it is our <x0th mandate to consider Lake Weman, as it is, Kosovo artificial lake”.

We paid for it many decades ago”, Kurti said.

The lake was built in 1972, with a $45 million loan from the World Bank, then ratified by the Kosovo District Assembly and Yugoslavia's Federation Convention.

Serbia insists it inherited the former Yugoslavia's debt, so it claims to be entitled.

Former Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, over the matter last week, has written on the social network, Facebook, saying the government must take care of the implementation of projects stemming from the Washington Agreement.

President Biden's “Administrator has confirmed that he will continue to implement this agreement because it is in line with the common interests of the US and Kosovo”, Hoti wrote.

Jehona Lushak-Sadriu, professor of political science at Pristina University, in a conversation with Radio Free Europe, has estimated that in relation to dialogue with Serbia, the Kosovo Government's unclear approach is a hostage to former statements by Prime Minister Kurti. According to her, Kurti earlier expressed very critical positions regarding dialogue with Serbia, on agreements reached in this process, but also on the 4 September pledges in Washington.

The agreements, which have been signed and entered into force, are finished. Just like Washington's deal. We need to think that we are the state that receives international obligations, and regardless of who is the prime minister at the moment, the state must continue to implement the agreements, which it has signed on its own and has pledged to implement”, Lushaku-Sadriu said.