A year from the Washington Agreement, businesses demand that politics fulfil remaining pledges

So far, only some of the provisions have been implemented from this agreement, while business community representatives demand that politics fulfil the remaining pledges.

The agreement containing 16 provisions was signed in the White House in the presence of former US President Donald Trump.

Immediately after signing this document, former Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti had said this agreement is a step towards full normalisation of relations between the two countries.

This is extraordinary news for Kosovo. Today, in the White House, we signed an agreement that is a major step towards full normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Our goal is to achieve mutual recognition, and today's economic-type agreement is a very important step towards achieving mutual recognition”, Hoti was expressed.

No more than three weeks after the White House meeting, Kosovo had signed the document with the US Finance Corporation for International Development (DFC) which envisions providing access to a wide range of investments.

“New Kosovo Agreement- The US for Promotion of Investments is expected to provide access to the full range of investment support, provided by the US Finance Corporation for International Development, as well as to define actions related to the Corporation's support for Kosovo projects and their Kosovo approach”, the document says.

Also, the document indicates that both states are expected to identify projects that further empower economic integration and development in the region.

Kosovo and US aim to faithfully implement the new Kosovo Agreement- U.S. Investment Promotion. By faithfully implementing this agreement, the two states are expected to identify projects that further empower economic integration and development in the region”, the statement concludes.

While Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said she will not consider “as a whole, but that according to him, some points are problematic.

I didn't say what was signed in Washington, I was just gonna throw it away. The final point, which was Israel's recognition of Kosovo, is implemented and this is the most valuable part of the” Agreement, Kurti has said.

We don't want to deny it in principle, but at the same time we have to be careful, because there are also some points that are problematic for our constitution that have been signed as a pledge by the former prime minister. Just mention that we're not going to lobby and engage for membership in international organizations. This goes contrary to the Kosovo Constitution”, he added.

The former Kosovo government, headed by Hoti, had adopted the 16-point plan for implementing this agreement, envisioning the development of several projects, including the construction of the “Auttostrades of Peace”, the 5G network and the study of feasibility for Ujman Lake.

The first and second point of the plan is implementation of the agreement on the Pristina highway and railways Belgrade signed on February 14th.

At the third point is the construction of “Autostrada of Peace”, the railway link between Pristina and Merdare and that between Pristina and Nis, securing funding to support loans required for small and medium-sized enterprises, additional bilateral projects and the international presence of the full-time DFC in Serbia.

The seventh point of this plan is that both sides will work with the US Energy Department and other US Government units in a feasibility study of the purposes of joint exploitation of Lake Wyman, as a potential source of water and energy.

At the eighth point of the plan it says Kosovo and Serbia will diversify electricity supplies. The ninth point, however, is the ban on using 5G equipment supplied by suspicious bidders in their communication networks.

In October last year, Kosovo has begun implementing the point involving the 5G network and the use of technology equipment by secure vendors.

Kosovo will stop using 5G equipment, provided by incredible vendors, on their communication networks. Where such equipment can be found, the country's respective institutions will be committed to removing it”, the Government of Kosovo announced.

After the implementation began, US Ambassador to Pristina Philip Costett has praised Kosovo, which, as he has said, has been assured that its networks of the fifth generation of communications are on a clear path from non-trusted and in line with the Agreement.

“We commend Kosovo for ensuring that its networks are on a clean road, not by incredible vendors, in accordance with Washington's agreements. We will continue to work together towards certain integration of regional communication and expanding Kosovo's digital economy”, Costett had said through a tweet.

In Kosovo, 5G technology is not yet available for smart phone users, nor are the procedures for issuing licenses for the use of necessary radio frequencies.

During June 2021, the US Embassy reports it has handed over to the Government of Kosovo the feasibility study report for Lake Weyman.

The US “Embassy in Kosovo and the US Embassy in Belgrade [now] have handed over to the Government of Kosovo and Serbia the report on Lake of Uyman, thus fulfilling one of the Washington Accords of September 4th”, the embassy announced.

The report proposes forming a commission for the Iber River that would help discuss the possibility of managing water resources between the parties.

“We propose that Kosovo and Serbia take into consideration technical arrangements from the treaty between the US and Canada for the Colombia River regarding water supply, energy agencies and flood control by shaping institutional needs to support such a commission even for the Iber” River, the document says.

In contrast, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure Minister Lieburn Aliu during a media conference said that Kosovo has entered into obligations for construction of the Besi Merdara road, part of the “Auttostrada of Peace”, is expected to start building in the spring of next year.

As far as the Peace Academy is concerned, Kosovo has entered into a commitment to realise Bessie Merdara Street. Of course, this process of financial causes can drag on, but it is a process that will be completed. On the other hand, the same project implies that it must be realised on the other side [Serbia] and that there has been none so far. We can't say for sure, but I think spring we'll have a good chance of beginning that highway”, Ali stressed.

In terms of implementing this agreement, business representatives in Kosovo have called for politics to continue meeting the remaining points.

The executive director of the American Economic Ode in Kosovo, Arian Zeka, in a response to Telegrafi, has said the agreement confirms the signing states' pledge to improve economic co-operation.

The agreement on economic normalisation signed by Kosovo and Serbia under the mediation of the United States of America confirms the country's pledge to improve economic co-operation, regional economic integration, but also advance transport infrastructure. It also includes the pledge of financial institutions of the United States for financing of some of the” projects, Zeka said.

He adds there have been calls on the parties to fulfil the pledges made by this agreement.

“It is true that there is an impasse in the application of several provisions of the agreement, even though there are some pledges that have already been fulfilled, but I strongly believe that in the coming period there will be a more serious commitment of governments of both states to fulfil all commitments that states have undertaken with the signing of the Washington Agreement, the more that there have been calls of representatives of the American Administration to the parties for fulfillment of their”, he adds.

While for the chairman of the Kosovo Economic Ode, Berat Rukiqi's implementation of the pre-covening projects is useful for the country and the region.

There's a deadlock in those Washington Agreement pledges so far. We are hoping that at least far from what is political or certain issues of political importance to have these projects, which would be useful both to the country and to the region”, Rukiqi has been expressed during an interview with Telegrafi.

On December 31, 2020, former Prime Minister Hoti and Ambassador Costnets had signed the (IIA) Investment Promotion Agreement that enables the DFC to bring the scope of financial products to Kosovo, including debt financing, investments in equity, political risk security and grant technical assistance. /Telegraphy/