Be careful. Wrong approach. You're improvised” Dialogue with Serbia hits VV with opposition

The positions and opposition are made together today at the “New Kosovo-Serbia dialogue chapter” of the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI). While the ruling party estimated they are prepared for this process, the opposition said Kurti Government is unprepared for dialogue.

On the other hand, reaching the final agreement is seen as both achievable and KDI approach.

The task of the chairman of the Vetevendosje Movement parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said they are willing to continue the dialogue, based on established principles, but for the same two sides must work, and not only Kosovo.

In fact, it raised doubts even if it should be called the final phase of the dialogue, following yesterday's statements by Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq that he will not recognise Kosovo.

In addition, Kusari-Lila said all past agreements, which have been deemed harmful, would come with new proposals, such as the National Minority Council, alternative to association.

“The Kosovo-Serbia dialogue included two sides, Kosovo and Serbia, only yesterday have we heard the Serbian president in two statements that are at odds with each international rate, which is already confirmed. The first that Kosovo is an independent state and is now 11 years old by the JND decision that there has been no violation of Kosovo's declaration of independence, and second by the so-called genocide denial in Bosnia. All efforts can be made in Kosovo, to have unity within institutional leaders, to have co-ordination of positions even with opposition parties, but dialogue cannot result in the fact that on the other side is a leader such as Vuciq, part of Milosevic's integrity and we can meet again in such forms to seek results, and the same cannot be without two sides. Now we have a reconfirming of Serbia's position that we should be careful even when we say we are in the final phase of the dialogue. Do we want the final dialogue with a president who says I do not recognise Kosovo's independence, where the main and content is mutual recognition?

But criticism of the Kurti Government's approach to the dialogue addressed PDK parliamentary group chief Abelard Tahiri, until he said the goal should be not only to mutual recognition, but also to Kosovo's membership in the UN.

There is no agenda that could be discussed between the ruling parties and opposition parties. I see a wrong approach to our government's starting point. When we are in recognition, I don't believe our final goal should be to recognise Kosovo-Serbia. Here is the mistake we make, because even if it happens and we have the obstacle on the Security Council from Russia and China, our Republic is actually failing to complete international subjectivity”, he said.

While LDK deputy Driton Selmanaj said the Kurti government is improvised and reactivating in the process. He said that the executive approach to Washington's agreement is harmful to Kosovo.

The “seems to have a non-preparation for this topic, as if there are steps of improvisement and tact, but not Kosovo's clear position for this process. The initial approach points to the unrealistic approach this government has. We have submitted all the documents to the admission of the task, although we have not accepted anything we have received”, Selmanaj said.

The criticism of the contents of Prime Minister Kurti's proposals at the first meeting with President Vuciq also addressed the AAK parliamentary group's chief, Besnik Tahiri.

“Prime Minister Kurti has no strategy, there is tact, the strategic aspect is missing, there are tactics. Tactfully, he has acted wisely by bringing four points, since he too went with a proposal. But in the fascinating dialogue like the EU, it is not tactics, but content and strategy, which was a disaster. He asked CEFTA to become SEFTA, which in essence is mini-Sengen”, he said.

On the other hand, KDI researcher Violet Hajolli expressed sceptical about the rapid achievement of a Kosovo-Serbia final agreement.

“Since the beginning of the process, Kosovo and Serbia have been following normalisation differently, it seems that even at this stage Kosovo and Serbia have different definitions of what that final agreement should look like. That's why even reaching this deal is looking very difficult and still far from”, she said.

Part of this conference on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue was Switzerland's Ambassador to Pristina, Thomas Kelly, who requested a more active role of the Parliament in the process.