Expectations from agreement on normalisation of Kosovo relations Serbia

Highly welcomed by Western diplomacy, the deal has puzzled the two countries. In Kosovo, concerns mainly relate to its pledge to give a wider scale of “management” to the Serbian community and implement the agreement to establish the Association of Serb-run municipalities.

What do Albanian and Serbian citizens in southern and northern Mitrovica think about the Ohrid Agreement and the impact it could have on their lives?

I think that this is a camouflage and that Serbs will not benefit anything from this -- at least nothing container -- perhaps any privilege. That's my opinion based on what's been said in public and conversations that circulate in society. The association will be a nongovernmental organisation and nothing more”, said a Serb resident of northern Mitrovica, Milenije Jaksic.

“I think that it should be done just as President Vucic before for Serbian municipalities to be united and have autonomy as always has been. From the Association we expect greater freedom and no more fear of”, said another resident, Ruzica Cakiq.

These are pre-coordinated agreements and now the time has come for you to take or leave. Pristina tries to avoid association, and I think there is no expected to be any change to”, said another resident who did not want to be identified.

My “My decision is that with Serbia, agreement without sanctions from the European community and the US cannot be reached. He (Aleksandar Vucic) has not gone to Ohrid to sign, did not want to sign any agreements, has just said that we have reached it to some extent, up to red lines, red lines with Serbia we have been used for 200x1>, said Ali Boletini of southern Mitrovica.

The agreement if it goes according to what our prime minister requires, it is in favour of ours and the people of Kosovo. There are numerous obstacles because with the Serbian side it's hard to deal with, she can't be trusted, as she says tomorrow she changes the plaque completely. But we believe that there are some things in this agreement that are positive”, said Shaban Morina, a resident of southern Mitrovica.

The Ohrid Agreement followed Western diplomacy efforts to pave the way for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia, amid fears that Russia might try to exploit tensions between the parties to promote destabilisation in the region.

Kosovo relations Serbia tensed late last year due to disagreements over a government decision in Pristina to reregister Serbian license plates in those of the Republic of Kosovo.

In protest of Serb representatives of four Serb-run northern municipalities -- Northern Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok -- resigned from their posts. Local government elections are scheduled to be held on April 23rd this year, following their postponement on December 18th of last year, at the request of the international community.

Miodrag Milicevic from nongovernmental organisations in northern Mitrovica, ACTIV, said in a conversation with the Voice of America that despite expectations, the Ohrid Agreement has failed to create conditions on the ground for holding elections in this municipality.

In view of the lack of a stable political environment in the north, these elections may be challenging in the sense of lack of full access to polling stations, lack of political will to participate, and many smaller issues that could undermine the integrity of the” election process, he said.

The Serbian list, the main political subject of Kosovo Serbs, has recently restored the stance that it will not participate in the elections until its demands are met, the founding of the Serb majority municipalities' association and the withdrawal of all special Kosovo Police units from the north.

Miodrag Milicevic said the elections would have to be postponed until a compromise is reached for participation of all political subjects.

“Otherwise, we could see another cycle of instability in the north, since if a certified candidate now guards the local election he could win about 20 votes and become chairman of northern Mitrovica, and this poses a potential risk of political instability, which all the activists would have to carefully examine”, he says.

Kosovo has entered its 16th year of independence, which was declared February 17th 2008 with Western support, but is opposed by Serbia and its ally Russia. The agreement reached in Ohrid does not require mutual recognition between the two countries, but requires that the parties respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. / VOA