Sarrazine: There will be new push for dialogue, parties to be constructive

Sarrazin says Germany and the European Union have clear expectations from Serbia to hold responsible the authors of the September 24th attack in the north.

It underlines the need for the parties to be more constructive and positive in the dialogue process.

“I think we should try to get on one side the agenda of de-progression. It is clearly described by May's incidents and now we have some unresolved issues, but especially now they are clear expectations from the European Union for what Serbia will give for de-progression, especially in connection with the authors of the September 24th attack. On the other hand, we strongly believe that it is not a good idea to focus only on de-progress, on the same side, we should also try to implement the Ohrid Agreement again, and make a further push to get back the overall positive result there. And that's what you can expect from Germany and the European Union, that even now, and especially now, we will try to make a new push for implementing the Ohrid Agreement on the ground on both sides, and we call on both sides to be constructive and positive in this” process, he says.

Despite the terrorist attack in the north, which according to the Government of Kosovo is sponsored by Serbia, the German emissary says the Brussels agreement and the Ohrid annex are still legally functional, but a political re-enactment of Kosovo and Serbia is needed for their implementation.

“I want to legally say it [the agreement] still works, but of course politically it is clear that we need a re-compensation to [the agreement]. Ohrid and this can be done by implementing it, handing over a implementation guide, and coming step by step to the execution of [the agreement] Ohrid, as it were. And that's what we want to see now... I think it's necessary to become a new incentive, and it's necessary for the European Union to try and serve dialogue. Especially after what happened in Banjska”, Sarraz points out.

In addition, Sarrazin speaks of the Berlin Process Summit, which was held on 16 October in Tirana.

He adds that the Berlin Process will be actively in the region for deepening co-operation among the six Western Balkan countries.

The Berlin Process is trying to be in the region and at a very difficult time it is good to see that all six [the countries] are joining together and we will have results to show, the signing of agreements, this is a good day for the Western Balkans”, Sarrazin claims.

EU Special Representative for Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, accompanied by senior advisers of leaders of Germany, France, Italy and the United States of America, will travel on Saturday, October 21st to Kosovo and Serbia, to meet with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq.

Besides Lajcak on this visit, there will be Emmanuel Bonne, the adviser for security and foreign policy of the president of France, that of German Chancellor Jens Plotner, and of Italy's Prime Minister Francis Talo. The US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar will also be in the delegation.

For the last time Kurti and Vuciq had met at a high-level meeting under the dialogue, September 14th in Brussels. Disconceptions regarding the implementation plan had been shown. For this, the EU had given responsibility to the Kosovo side.

Kosovo accused Serbia of being behind the September 24th terrorist attack in Zvecan Banjska, through which it has attempted to annex Kosovo's north. /kp/