Foundation of Association: Requesting that the government go with concrete proposals at US Embassy's invited meeting

The American Embassy in Pristina on Tuesday 31 January will be a host of discussion on the establishment of the majority Serb municipalities in Kosovo.

The embassy has stressed that a different group of civil society leaders, government officials, political leaders and diplomats have been invited to this meeting to discuss this important issue.

The embassy has said its aim is “to advance mutual understanding of commitment to association, in support of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia mediated by the EU”

Regarding the call of this meeting by the American Embassy, political process connoisseur Emir Abrashi has said that this is the continuation of the requirements Kosovo partners have made for establishing association as a precondition for unlocking the stalemate in Kosovo's relations with Serbia, continuing dialogue and closing this process, as it was warned at the beginning of this year.

The Republic of Kosovo must not be forgotten that it was binding to establish association first in 2013 when the first agreement on Association was signed and later in 2015 after the review of the agreement. So Kosovo must stick to the agreement and normally avoid further waste of time in this direction”, Abrashi has said.

He has yet added that he expects concrete proposals from representatives of the Kosovo government at this meeting.

At the meeting called by the American Embassy, I wish to have concrete proposals from government representatives for establishing this entity, respecting the 2015 agreement, which envisions the Constitutional Court's opinion before the adoption of the statute, but also for later amendments to that statute. In this form, Kosovo would avoid forming an entity that returns to third power, with executive competences, which violates the unitary character of the Republic”, Abras writes Telegrafi.

Abrashi stressed, however, that Kosovo can condition the formation of this entity with full implementation of all agreements on both sides (Kosovo and Serbia), as well as on reaching the final agreement with Serbia.

“Well, to do so, Kosovo must show willingness to form this entity and at the meeting called by the American Embassy, go with concrete proposals”, he said.

Political affairs acquaintance Emir Abrashi further indicated that the further extension of this issue would bring only the most unfavourable moments for Kosovo, as well as an increase in international pressure.

“If the association were formed in time, and according to the 2015 agreement, which the Serbian side has accepted, we would not reach a point when autonomy for the north would be discussed. Thus, loss of momentum is of great cost, while the further extension of dialogue corresponds only to Serbia and in no way to Kosovo”, he said.

On the other hand, international relations professor Dritaro Arifi said the US initiative comes after two senior US officials, Chollet and Escobar sought the initiative to establish the Association of Serb-run municipalities.

“They suggested it is both a local and international duty and in some way a US obligation to its partners, Kosovo and our northern neighbour”.

The prime minister is not invited to this initiative at least according to what he has stated. This shows a bypass of the prime minister and the government of Kosovo from the US Embassy, we cannot tell whether it was done on purpose, but in this case we can only assume because of Kurti's political non-consistencies in the face of American demands”, Arifi said.

He has added that association should be established by local Serbs, as it is in the Brussels agreement, and then handed over to the government and still must go to the Constitutional Court to see if it is in line with Kosovo laws.

“It could happen for the Government to accept it as a draft because it goes to the Court and takes time to review it. The government has not diplomaticly known to make demands or to seek balance between Serbs in Kosovo and Albanians in the Presevo Valley of”, Arifi said.

What did Kurt say about Tuesday's meeting?

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has also talked about forming association. Kurti said he was not invited to the meeting at the American Embassy.

He said he has waited from Escobar to say in Belgrade that Serbia should recognise Kosovo, not say in Pristina that the association will take place, regardless of Kosovo's prime minister.

I am not invited to that meeting, but those invited should go to that meeting and discuss it. But, I am re-increasing, out of 33 Brussels agreements, one does not make a choice because there is no hierarchy. No artificial hierarchy can be created except chronological order. Meanwhile, on the other hand, even the European Union's proposal cannot only be resolved by some article, which is thought to include the Association of Serb majority municipalities. So I believe that this meeting is a consequence of the insistence of the U.S. State Department official, who is also a special emissary for the Balkans and who has declared that, regardless of Kosovo's prime minister, the association should become”, Kurti said.

He has said he believes that the European proposal is a good basis for the agreement with Serbia and that he is willing to negotiate the agreements reached in Brussels, but has said he has not received an adequate argument for establishing the majority Serbian Communist Association.

The first executive has said that “does not see the creation of association necessary, but that it is ready for discussions on the rights of non-US communities”.

Kosovo and Serbia have reached agreement on Association in 2013 and later 2015 on principles for its establishment.

But in 2015, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo has found that the agreement is not in full harmony with the Constitution.

Serbia wants Kosovo to implement the agreements reached, but the Kosovo government has declared against an ethnic association.