Without Kosovo recognition, EU proposal unacceptable to opposition

The opposition parties' stance is similar to that of the Government of Kosovo.

The recognition of the political processes, Agon Maliqi, estimates that the statements of the Government and opposition parties are tactical, and are aimed at strengthening Kosovo's position in negotiations, but are also for domestic politics.

The EU's proposal for normalising Kosovo-Serbia relations has been handed over to the two countries at the end of last summer, but its contents have not been made public.

This proposal, in which the REL has had access, envisions equal rights for Kosovo and Serbia, respect for territorial integrity, border invisibility, recognition of state symbols and a special arrangement for the Serb community in Kosovo.

The document does not mention mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia or the membership of Kosovo in the United Nations Organisation, for which things Kosovo officials publicly insist, but stresses the support the parties should give each other in the process of European integration.

The European Union's proposal, formerly known as the Franco-German plan, has also received support from the United States of America.

PDK: EU proposal not expected and should be negotiated

The Democratic Party of Kosovo(PDK) has welcomed the European Union's proposal for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia, but only as a basis for talks on the final agreement between the two states, says party deputy Rashit Qalaj.

As he points out, however, the attitude of The PDK is that the proposal, which needs to be discussed for a final agreement, should contain five necessary elements: preserving the country's unitary character, recognising the five EU states that have not recognised Kosovo so far, integration into NATO structures or the Partnership for Peace, obtaining candidate status for the European Union, and mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia.

“I think the proposal is not the agreement, for which Kosovo has been waiting for a long time. The agreement that does not have in its composition mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia is an agreement that does not bring stability to the Balkans and only postpones the solution of the problem between Kosovo and Serbia”, says Qalaj.

According to him, the EU's proposal for normalisation of relations must be negotiated.

LDK: We do not support agreements that do not include Kosovo recognition

The deputy chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Lutfi Haziri, tells Radio Free Europe that his party's stance is that an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is necessary and that it must be reached soon.

But, as he says, such an agreement should have an effect on recognition.

However, as it is known so far, the recognition of Kosovo by Serbia does not figure in the text of the European Union's proposal for normalising relations between the two countries, which has been handed over to the governments of the two states.

As Haziri says, the dialogue that will not end with the recognition of Kosovo on the part of Serbia, “will have no meaning”.

No agreement, which has no final recognition, will be sufficient and will not be supported by LDK. This is our reconfirmed position now, in the last 10 days, despite our support for dialogue and support for Government as constitutional mandate”, Haziri says.

Because we know that the proposal, as such, is not final, but it is a good basis for talks, but our position is that the agreement should nevertheless have all five elements mentioned at”, Qalaj points out.

He adds that this political stance will also confirm at meetings that the US Embassy in Pristina is expected to organise with political parties and civil society as of 31 January.

“No one has expected, never, in the basic documents of the parties, to be written or effectively expected Kosovo's independence, because Serbia will continue to object on its part to any kind of Kosovo accession and will try to find a door to flee and buy time again with non-recognition. But we have to convince and argue before international mediators, before international and in particular, the god factor (the European Union's top representative, Josep) Borrell and the American government, that recognition is the solution to problems, while not recognising independence (Kosovo from Serbia), Kosovo remains an open problem between Serbia and her”, Haziri points out.

AAK: Proposal Solves Kosovo Relations node

Radio Free Europe has made efforts to contact officials of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), but they were not available.

However, in December last year, AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj had voiced the opinion that the EU proposal provides an acceptable basis for further talks with Serbia and that with this proposal “relations between Kosovo and Serbia are regulated on the basis of UN Charter chapters on relations between states”.

“I believe the base is stable and this agreement [proposal] is stable, and [in the end] resolves the pending issue of Kosovo-Serbia mutual recognition. I don't see that it will be needed again in the future to talk about mutual recognition, because [this proposal] resolves the Kosovo relations knot”, Haradinaj said.

Maliqi: Tactical Declaration of Power and Opposition

The recogniser of the political processes, Agon Maliqi, estimates that statements both of Prime Minister Kurti's but opposition parties as well as of the EU's proposal for normalising Kosovo-Serbia relations can have tactical nature.

That way, according to him, the Kosovo government sends the signal that its position in the negotiations is achieving recognition by Serbia and that it cannot give up. Meanwhile, opposition statements, as Maliqi says, can be tactical and domestic policy, so that if at the end of the negotiations there will be no direct recognition of Kosovo on the part of Serbia, then this is presented as the government's failure.

Kosovo requires mutual recognition, not necessarily that it wants Serbia to recognise, but because Serbia's lack of recognition is causing problems. One of these problems is the issue of recognition by [five] EU countries or membership in international organisations. If the agreement, through indirect recognition, achieves this result, therefore, to have guarantees that Kosovo enters international organisations, whether it excludes the UN or secures recognition by five EU states, then I think Kosovo will be able to see the accord by”, Malchi estimates.

He adds that statements and positions, almost similar, to power and opposition parties regarding the EU proposal, may influence strengthening Allies' efforts to address some of Kosovo's concerns.

“I think these are more efforts to get guarantees from international partners that Kosovo is expecting the benefits that would have come from recognition and not necessarily recognition. These more appear, simply, as kind of rhetorical and tactical attitude”, Maliqi points out.

On Thursday, January 26th, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the European Union's proposal for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia should have mutual recognition at the centre.

This proposal, he sees as a good basis for discussion and as a <x0-cornish that allows us to move forward”.

Recently, on January 25th, the European Union's special envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, who has met at a business dinner with Prime Minister Kurti, and Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, to discuss future steps about dialogue.

Meanwhile, on 24 January, US State Department adviser Derek Chollet has encouraged Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to accept the EU proposal for normalising relations with Serbia.

On January 20th, in Pristina and Belgrade, Lajcak, accompanied by the US emissary for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, France's special envoy, Emmanuel Bonne, Germany's Jens Ploter, and Francesco Tallon, adviser to Italy's prime minister.

They have talked with Prime Minister Albin Kurti and President Aleksandar Vuciq about the European Union's proposal for normalisation of relations.

Serbian President Vuciq has stated that the EU proposal is the new negotiating framework for Serbia.