Pacolli before the meeting in Ohrid: Current proposal is not what the people of Kosovo have hoped for

It is not yet known what is expected to happen at this meeting, until Prime Minister Kurti has said he is optimistic about the agreement in Ohrid, but according to him the other side will not sign.

For the March 18th meeting and the Franco-German plan, former Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli also spoke.

He has said that Kosovo should normalise relations with Serbia within the EU-led dialogue, supported by the US.

But, that for the Franco-German proposal, it's not what the people of Kosovo have expected.

The current proposal is not what the people of Kosovo have hoped for and been promised for years, but it offers a small door to change the status quo that is not in Kosovo's interest”, Pacolli has said.

According to him, with the current European proposal, Kosovo is making major compromises.

This, as Pacolli says, can have the potential to deepen polarisation and create new challenges for the country in the future.

With this proposal, Kosovo is making major compromises that have the potential to deepen polarisation and create new challenges for the country in the future. The main question remains why our main partners gave up the purpose of mutual recognition? Of course, some chaotic situations in the north last year and the failure to co-ordinate Kosovo's actions with the international community, especially Washington, which has turned the situation into a wartime security problem in Ukraine, and now the goal is no longer mutual recognition, but stability”, Pacolli has said.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Behgjet Pacolli has said that support must be sought from the European Union and the United States of America to gain recognition from the five states that have yet to recognise Kosovo.

This, as he put it, is important to have guidance for finalising citizenship.

“It is important to seek support from the EU-US to gain recognition from the 5th EU Council, NATO Membership Action Plan and quick membership in the Council of Europe, UN Specialised Agencys and Interpol. So it's important that we have a clear guide to finalize citizenship so that we don't spend the next decade arguing about what the parties were hired for to the French-German proposal”, he has indicated.

Pacolli says Kosovo should learn from the experience of the Prespa deal when not everything promised to northern Macedonia was realised.

Our “Partners have to learn lessons from the last decade in dialogue, but Kosovo must learn from the experience of the Prespa Agreement when not everything promised to North Macedonia was realised, we see stagnation in the EU enlargement process”, Pacolli said.

And, as far as it has spoken about minority rights in the country, it has confirmed that Kosovo is champion in minority rights.

He has not left out the integration of Kosovo Serbs.

Kosovo is champion in terms of minority rights. The international community must recognise the leadership of Kosovo in the region as a real democracy for all its citizens. The integration of Kosovo Serbs has not been hampered by Kosovo, but by Serbia's hegemonic policy”, Pacolli has indicated among other things.

Behgjet Pacolli, has demanded that Kosovo be constructive and in the event of failure to blame the process.

The former foreign minister has also had a request for the Kosovo side before the March 18th meeting in Ohrid.

Kosovo should be constructive and not be the one to blame if the process fails, as well as Kosovo should not go with the intention of not accepting the proposal, but to be constructive and open to our partners by sharing and discussing what we as a target and what we do not honestly and sincerely accept” has added.

Ahead of the March 18th meeting, special envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar will remain in Kosovo and Belgrade.

The same has been reported to be present at the meeting in Ohrid.