5 minutes agoWadephul: Scholz amateur statement in Belgrade
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Major German Opposition Party Deputy Chairman CDU/ CSU, Johann David Wadefhul, has criticised the route and declarations of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Western Balkans in a debate in Bundestag. Major German Opposition Party Deputy Chairman CDU/ CSU, Johann David Wadefhul, has criticised the route and statements by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, 40 days ago in the Balkans. [...]
Major German Opposition Party Deputy Chairman CDU/ CSU, Johann David Wadefhul, has criticised the route and statements by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, 40 days ago in the Balkans. During a speech in Bundestag on the occasion of a debate on the Western Balkans, Wadelephul called the trip a failure, according to him, what appeared from stops: “once in Pristina and then in Belgrade. From there it seemed that travel was extremely problematic. ”
Wadehul called the German Social Democrat Chancellor's statement during his visit to Belgrade (12.06) for the necessity of recognising Kosovo from Serbia as a precondition for its EU entry. This is desirable and everybody knows this, but recognition should come at the end of a process, while now this declaration, uttered in public so amateurly, charges the whole process, which has become difficult for Serbia”.
Unlike German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who at press conferences was cautious and direct expectations, and the statements were usually given behind closed doors, current Chancellor Olaf Scholz surprised the opinion in Serbia, at his request for recognition of Kosovo. Placing Kosovo into the centre, not at the end of the process of normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia, is one of Kosovo's main requirements for dialogue.
German government take into account conditions for Albania
In the Bundestag debate on the Western Balkans, Wadephul spoke on behalf of his parliamentary group and presented this group's motion on Germany's commitment to bringing the Western Balkans to the EU. The motion requires, among other things, that the German government engage with all forces and with concrete steps to launch negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia, for recognising Kosovo and its membership in various organisations, for liberalising the visa regime with Kosovo citizens.
Wadehul did not forget to recall the conditions Bundestag has set for Albania for starting negotiations with the EU. I expect the German government to take into account especially the decisions Bundestag has made for Albania and Northern Macedonia, and not to make accelerated procedures”, Wadephul said.
In the resolution adopted by Bundestag in October 2019, German parliamentarians gave the green light to the German government to open negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia, but the parliamentary group CDU/ CSU, including then Chancellor Angela Merkel, assigned the German government nine additional conditions for Albania before it decided to start negotiations. Bundestag's decision is not binding on the German government.
Bundestag considers continuing KFOR mandate
The German Parliament also debated today the continuation of German participation in the KFOR mission in Kosovo. The mandate envisions sending up to 400 German soldiers to Kosovo. The German government's respective request, after one in the debate of about 40 minutes, was passed to the relevant commissions. German KFOR contingent remains the same as before, but Germany is adding to the military presence in the Western Balkans, with participation in the EUFOR/Althea mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The German Bundestag is expected to handle this motion this same week.
KFOR's peacekeeping mission in Kosovo has been engaged since 1999 under UN Security Council Resolution 1244. On 11 June 1999, the German Bundestag decided for the first time German participation in the KFOR Force in Kosovo. Currently, the number of German soldiers stationed is about 70. Continued mission is expected to cost German citizens sevenm euros. The extension of the mandate is expected to be approved by a wide majority of votes both by the three ruling parties and by the largest opposition CDU/ CSU./dw
