Former American ambassador in 2015: Court ruling understands that the Association of Serb majority municipalities is in line with Kosovo Constitution

“The Constitutional Court states that the judicial act of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo and the Constitution that implements principles, to be in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution, with Article 3 [paragraph 1 with Chapter II and III, must meet constitutional standards and be in accordance specifically with articles 3, 7, 12, with Chapter II with Chapter II with Article 21 and 44, with Chapter I. II [The Rights of the Communities and Their Members” said in the JCK decision.

And on the Constitutional Decision, former US Ambassador to Kosovo Greg Delawi had said that under the Court's decision to have Association of Serb majority municipalities is in line with the Constitution of Kosovo.

“As far as the Court's decision is concerned: we have read the judgment very carefully. It was long and legal, and what I understood from the Court's decision is that having the Association of Serb majority municipalities is in line with the Kosovo Constitution. The court has given the government specific instructions on how the statute for this association can be drafted so that it can comply with the Kosovo Constitution, and it is also said that they want to see the statute when it is drafted. So, I'm hearing that people are saying that the Court has said this idea is not in accordance with the Constitution, but I think if you read it carefully you see that the Court says that (a) such an organ can be created, and (b) this is how you create it in order to comply with the Constitution of Kosovo”, Delaille had said in one interview for Voice in 2015.

We remember that it was the director of the Office for Kosovo in Serbia's Government, Petar Petkov, who said that representatives of Serbs living in northern Kosovo would begin forming the Association of Serb-run municipalities.

There is nothing to expect. If they can behave as they please, then it is normal for Serbs to start creating association. Ten years have passed and they must secure their rights”, he said.

While yesterday the United States' special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said that establishing the Association of Serb majority municipalities should not be in conflict with the Kosovo Constitution, and creating “states within the state”.

We have been clear that the parties were hired earlier for association, so it should be discussed. However, association should not interfere, it should not conflict with the Constitution of Kosovo, it should not create problems in Kosovo's functionality and should not be a state within a”, Escobar said yesterday.

The establishment of association is envisioned with the Brussels Agreement in 2013 reached between Kosovo and Serbia. Two years later both parties have also agreed on the principles of its establishment.

The association of Serb majority municipalities is designed to gather around itself ten municipalities in Kosovo, where the majority of the population are Serbs, who are North Mitrovica, Klokot, Partesh, Ranilug, Gracanica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok, Novoberda, Leposaviq and Shrpca. / P ERISCOPIA