A country for women in Kosovo- Serbia

She was said to be the right person to testify before the Serbian side in talks on crimes committed by Serbia during the war in Kosovo.

Government officials, but even some MPs from the ruling party's ranks -- the Vetevendosje Movement -- have not answered the Radio Free Europe question.

Questions on this issue have been addressed to the first Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Development and Dialog, Besnik Bissim, but to the publication of this report has not provided any answers.

The question of Radio Free Europe has not been answered by Tinka Kurti, chairman of the Women's MP group in the Kosovo Assembly. But, MP Hykmete Bajrami from the Democratic League of Kosovo ranks, said not that there is so far no women's integration in the dialogue process, but that neither has been seen the government platform for talks.

We'd like to have a platform, we'd like the assembly resolutions to be respected before and after the meetings. And of course, I think that only honor would make us involved in women. I think that such ones have enormously many, meaning capable women who are dealing with the issues of dialogue, whether by civil society, or in case even by the ruling party. So I believe that a gender compensation of delegations going to Brussels would only present us even better”, Bajrami said.

Representatives of nongovernmental organisations protecting women's rights, the Kosovo Women's Network and the Kosovar Centre for the rehabilitation of Torture Survivors have reiterated their demands for the integration of women in the dialogue process.

These two organisations say women should be directly involved in Kosovo-Serbia political dialogue.

Igballe Rogova, executive director of the Kosovo Women's Network, speaking of Radio Free Europe, said that since the dialogue process has begun, women are required to be part of negotiating teams.

We don't ask for a number, but we want the participation of women who are expert even to be present even now at the time of dialogue. We have even asked for this at the meeting with President (Kosovo, Vjosa) Osmani, also sent letter to the Government so that those expert women in various fields can be part of the dialogue, if not official, then to the expert group. But we haven't seen any movement on our demands”, Rogova said.

Feride Rushiti, executive director at the Kosovar Centre for the rehabilitation of Torture Survivors (QKRMT), said that the presence of a woman in the dialogue process is necessary and very important.

It considers that the Kosovo government, should make decisions as soon as possible so that it or they will be well prepared for the process.

A woman's voice in the dialogue process would enrich her and be an added value for dialogue. Powerly supports the idea that the Kosovo women who have now witnessed to me and who can achieve results either through positions where they are in government or in other spheres, can serve dialogue and can represent the woman's interest as part of the dialogue and can be powerful in the context of addressing arguments and facts related to Serbia”, Rushiti said, adding that the political dialogue team in the talks with Serbia should be more inclusive by including women.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in her statements concerning women's involvement in the dialogue process has declared that “will not have successful dialogue until the voice of mothers of missing persons, mothers of murdered children, women who are survivors of sexual violence, the voice of each girl and woman who witnessed the horror of the Serbian regime” is heard.

In Pristina on July 28th, the European Union Office has started launching the “project including women in the Negotiate Table”.

The project, according to the European Union Office, aims at the engagement of a group of women leaders with different political experiences and communities, in a round of sessions and learning debates and sharing experiences.

Then there will be a report calling for the inclusion of women at the negotiating table. The report will be sent to Kosovo authorities and other acts.

Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which reportedly aims at fully normalising relations between the two states, started in March 2011, initially at the technical level.

In October 2012, this process went from technical to political.

European Union officials mediating the process have repeatedly reminded the parties that this process is important even for the European perspective of both countries.

The next round of political talks between Kosovo and Serbia took place on 19 July, attended by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia's President Aleksandar Vuciq.