Ashton: Thaci opposed association being the new layer of government

In her last book, “and what then stories from within 21” diplomacy, Catherine Ashton, former European diplomat, has provided details from within meetings in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

Ashton explains how talks have started about the Association of Serb Majorities, as former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci says, was against a special level of government for Serbs, and that such a thing as “Republika Srpska” or that it would threaten the power of the state would not be acceptable.

“Ivica Dacic explained he wanted to see the end of parallel structures, but the local Serb population needed a justice system to which they would believe. Thaci made it clear that he could not support a new ruling bed for Kosovo's north, which could bring about all the problems facing Bosnia and Herzegovina with Republika Srpska, but he did not oppose a form of delegation of local authority”, writes Catherine Ashton, forward Isander.

Ashton recalls how it got to the deal.

“After a while, Thaci and Daciq were close to a deal. They would try to work on how to give [Kosovo Serbs] identity and purpose without threatening the role of the Government of Kosovo and without the need to recognise Kosovo as a separate nation”, it has written.