Gervala urges paper players -- the EU -- to freeze Serbia's candidate country status

Kosovo police were attacked by an armed group of Serbs in the village of Banjska, in the municipality of Zvecan on 24 September, where Sergeant Africa Bulnjaku was killed. Three Serb attackers were killed in the fighting that followed in the village monastery.

Serbia has dismissed Kosovo's accusations that it stands behind the attack, dubbed by Kosovo authorities as “the attempt to annex Kosovo's north”.

But Gervalla said the smallest <x0 measures to be taken is freezing candidate country status for the European Union for Serbia. ”

Serbia received candidate status to join the EU in 2012, a year after talks between it and Kosovo began on normalising relations. Kosovo applied for this status in December 2022.

In this situation that was created after September 24th nothing can continue with the old avaz. It's impossible because we have to ensure the safety of the citizens. We need to see how the international community will behave in relation to Serbia. Will he get the right answer for aggression or not? Then it may be time to sit down and discuss it calmly. This is not the time to discuss association today”, Gervala said.

The responsibility for the attack on Banjska took over Milan Radoicic, former head of the Serbian List, the main party of Serbs in Kosovo that has Belgrade's backing.

On October 3rd, Radoicic was arrested, questioned and ordered to be kept in police custody until 48 hours before being released a day later, but without a passport and stopping to go to Kosovo.

Part of the rally in Tirana was Serbia's Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, who eventually did not participate in the official picture of the Berlin Process Foreign Affairs Ministry.

When asked by reporters if he refused participation because of the Kosovo flag along with other flags, he answered briefly: “Po”

Gervala said Kosovo's trouble with Serbia is bigger than non-participation in common photography.

Asked about Dacic's stance during the ministerial, Kosovo diplomat said: “I have not expected any constructive speech from Dacic about the Berlin process because to prevent it, Serbia has struggled to have an initiative like the Open Balkans, which joined others, but now it is only because it was only the Kali of Troy who was destined to disrupt the idea of co-operation initiated by Germany<1>.

Gervala also responded to some of Albania's prime minister's statements, Edi Rama, which sparked debate after he told “Financial Times” last week that Kosovo's north is anyone's “land”, or his proposal for a “international reference to Kosovo”.

“Veriu is part of Kosovo, a sovereign and independent state. Sovereignty is not to be discussed by anyone. We seek from Serbia and other non-friendly states to recognize this reality, so there are statements that often make us very surprised. I would not like to comment on Albania's prime minister and influence the deepening misunderstandings between our two countries, all of us need to speak less and help more”, she said.

Regarding Kosovo's representation at the Berlin Process summit, to be held in Tirana on 16 October, Grovalla said he cannot confirm whether Prime Minister Albin Kurti or President Vjosa Osmani will participate, saying the decision belongs to institutions. / REL