Osman for the German medium: Association is not formed

The new president of Kosovo is visiting Germany to seek support because Serbia has the hand on the new state. In the background, Russia and the EU are struggling for influence in the Western Balkans, writing begins in the Sued Deutsche Zeitung article.

For Kosovar Valdate Osmani Gjakova, the road to the new passport went through Belgrade. The 44-year-old elementary school teacher was able to receive only one copy of her birth certificate in Serbia's capital instead of her country. Serbs brought land records, birth records and other documents there in July 1999 to the end of the war in Kosovo. Belgrade promised years ago it would return documents or at least proven copies. “But my birthplace has not received a document to date”, says Valdate Osmani Gjakova.

Such co-operation for political and economic progress is further than ever in many Western Balkan countries: Bulgaria is blocking EU accession negotiations for Northern Macedonia due to a dispute over language and minorities. Bosnia and Herzegovina is attracting itself as a hard state. Serbia and Albania are lagging behind in many democratic standards or in fighting corruption instead of advancing. And the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo is unresolved: EU candidate Serbia continues to see its former province under Ottoman President Aleksandar Vuciq as part of Serbia; Kosovo, which was declared independent in 2008 and has now been recognised by 110 countries, is still isolated in many areas.

On her European farewell tour, Chancellor Angela Merkel is also visiting the Balkans -- on Monday she will come to Belgrade for a meeting with Vucinqi, on Tuesday she will meet the leaders of the governments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo in Tirana. The EU follows 6 October with a summit in the Western Balkans.

Better to remove license plates from Kosovo

Kosovo views Serbia as the main obstacle to its progress. Even though Prime Minister Albin Kurti met with Serbian President Vuciq twice in Brussels, no tangible results came out here. Since 2013, Serbia and Kosovo have signed 30 EU-mediated agreements, but “Serbia has not implemented two-thirds of their”, says new Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani.

In early July, for example, at a conference of the Berlin “Process” launched by Angela Merkel in 2014 ) agreements for recognition of university and professional qualifications or ID cards would be sealed. But hours before the vote, Serbia “presented new proposals in which Kosovo was not viewed as a country and brought agreements to failure”, Osmani told SZ. “We hope that the Chancellor and leaders of EU institutions will make the necessary pressure on Serbia so that we can finally move forward. ”

The current crossing of the border in Merdare, 35km from Pristina, shows how long relations between Kosovo and Serbia are. Drivers from Kosovo first remove their plates and buy a Serbian census for 30 days. Because with Kosovo plates, Serbs do not allow cars to continue. Truck drivers in particular need time and nerves, Serbian officials often as little to recognise Kosovo's national certificates as customs certificates and other documents issued there.

Is there a threat of misery in Kosovo as in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Of course, Kosovo is also not implementing an agreement made in 2013 and 2015 to establish a de facto mostly autonomous city and municipal association for 150,000 Serbs in Kosovo, which has 1.9 million people. At the end of 2015, Kosovo's Constitutional Court found that details of the planned association of cities and municipalities were contrary to the constitution, and that association should nevertheless be created “”.

Apart from the EU, US Secretary of State Matthew Palmer also stressed in early July that Kosovo should establish the City and Municipal Association: “Pacta Sunt servada, contracts must be met”, the US diplomat said. To do so, Kosovo may have to change its constitution. But President Osmani flatly excludes this, as well as an autonomous association of cities and municipalities for Kosovo Serbs in general. “We will not change the constitution or allow the unification of cities to create a mono-ethnic structure of power in our country. This is not in our interest, nor in that of our region or allies. ”

As an excuse, Osman refers to Republika Srpska, the Serbian sub-region in Bosnia and Herzegovina near Belgrade. Its President Milorad Dodik has repeatedly thought about secession from Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by annexation in Serbia. If we allow the Serbian Association of Cities and Communities in Kosovo, this would only be the preliminary phase for Serbia for a second Republika Srska”, says President Osmani-Sandriu. “We don't want another state that doesn't function like Bosnia and Herzegovina. ”

Serbian President Vuciq “meets Russia and China” and still receives funds from EU

Kosovo sees its scepticism confirmed by Serbia's Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin, who in mid-July, in the presence of President Vuciq, campaigned for a Serbian <x0-world” and for the military protection of Serbs “who live”. President Osmani sees an unbroken line to the regime of Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic. “Vulin and Vuciq were both members of his regime and still have the same goal: a major Serbian world. ”

At the same time, EU candidate Serbia maintains a close partnership with Russia. As the EU candidate Albania, accompanied by Kosovo, took part in the Defender Europe 21 maneuver led by the American Army in the spring, Serbian soldiers flew to Russia for maneuvering with Russian troops and Belarus. Moscow is also Belgrade's main pillar with its continued refusal to recognise Kosovo.

Serbia and Russia skillfully exploit the political vacuum in the Balkans, and unfortunately the West does not react to it”, says Lulzim Peci from the Kipred analysis centre in Pristina.

“Vucciq cultivates and commends Russia and China and should not pay a political price for it, but receives money from the EU at the same time. As long as it doesn't change, he will continue his policy. ”

Meanwhile, President Osmani believes Germany, which has already been Kosovo's main partner, should be more involved there, for example in the field of education for Kosovo youth. “We fight crime and corruption with new institutions, promote foreign investments with new laws and have new workers, many of whom speak German we are the ideal place for German companies. ”

Osman is visiting Berlin on Tuesday. She wants to convince her German co-ordinators to do more for Kosovo. One of their clients is Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. /Rtk/