Without Association there can be no Kosovo- Serbia

The European Union's envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, already made it clear that without the establishment of the Serbian Majority Commission Association in Kosovo, “has no agreement” for normalising relations between the two countries. This statement, Lajcak made in an interview for Serbian public television RTS, following a two-day stay in Belgrade and meetings he had with Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq and political structures there. According to the European charge, the target is not for someone to win or lose, but for the two countries to open the European door to”.

Osmani: “Model for minority rights”

Numerous Western diplomats, including those of the United States, have also called on authorities in Kosovo to implement the agreement on the Association of Serb-run municipalities. EU busy for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has confirmed that he has already handed over to authorities in Pristina 15 different European models dealing with respect for minority rights and that those models could be used during the draft of the Association of Serb Majorities statute in Kosovo. Pristina authorities say they are examining those models, but, according to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, models which have been introduced by Mr. Lajcak, have nothing to do with association, but more “are models for minority rights”.

“Secila of them are models, which some give more rights, in some models there are less rights than Kosovo already gives to minorities or non-US communities. We have analyzed all these models and of course there are elements that can be taken from each of them, but I would say again that the best model, much better than all those fifteen, is the current model that the Republic of Kosovo has”, President Osmani said.

Vjosa Osmani

Kurti: Implementation Plan Must Be Negotiated in Ohrid

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in turn, continues to give little importance to the Association, which says it is one of the last points of the European proposal, but, he wants to focus on the final Kosovo-Serbia agreement, and negotiating the plan for its implementation. I understand Serbia is pushing hard to establish the Association of Serb-run municipalities, or ésaednica, as we have called otherwise, it is in Article 10 of 33 agreements. Of course we know Serbia's position, but I have to refer to what we're dealing with and you can all read it, meanwhile, the implementation plan should be negotiated in Ohrid, and maybe not only in Ohrid”, Prime Minister Kurti said.

At the last meeting, held on February 27th in Brussels, under the mediation of European diplomacy chief Josep Borrell, Kurti and Vuciq have agreed to the contents of the document, or as it is called “Agreement for normalisation of relations”. The proposal, made public by the European Union, does not specifically mention mutual recognition. However, Article 2, mentions that parties should respect independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity each other. The proposal also includes the parties' pledge to honour all agreements reached so far in the dialogue on normalising relations, as well as their commitment not to prevent each other from obstructing integration processes.

President Vuciq's meeting with EU top diplomat Josep Borrell

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vuciq two days ago made clear his position that “will have no recognition either de facto or de jure” of Kosovo's independence. Vuciq said he will go to Ohrid for meeting with Kurti, but “has no clear what to talk about there”. Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, meanwhile, says she has no high expectations for progress in the dialogue process because of Serbia's “acre. “My hope is that the international community will focus on a pressure in relation to Serbia so that Serbia can also be convinced that March 18th, that the meeting that will be held in Ohrid of Northern Macedonia, is an extremely important moment in the dialogue process, so that through this agreement together with a implementation plan, many issues, which then pave the way to mutual recognition”, said President Osmani.

Kurti Vuciq Borrell meeting on February 27, 2023

Von der Leyen seeks to exploit the moment

International authorities expect that at the Ohrid meeting, held on March 18th in Ohrid between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia's President, Aleksandar Vuciq, agreement on the implementation plan for the European proposal is reached. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has invited Kosovo and Serbia to use the European Union's proposal to normalise relations and at the next meetings to contribute to the stability of the region, as well as to their journey towards the EU. “We have a European Union plan for normalising relations between Pristina and Belgrade. I think it represents an opportunity for both sides to exploit the moment, because normalisation is key to the security, stability and prosperity of the region”, Ursula von der Leenen said, at a meeting with European news agencies correspondents. She has said she expects the parties to be constructive at the next meeting, held on March 18th in Ohrid, North Macedonia.