Spain são changes stance on Kosovo, seeks solutions through dialogue

Radio Free Europe asked the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs if Madrid has changed its stance on Kosovo, after Pristina and Belgrade agreed to the European proposal for normalisation of reports. This minister said that “the issue of Kosovo territory must be resolved through dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which is mediated by the European Union.

“It is time to make final efforts to resolve the Kosovo issue”, Elena Alyarilla Cortezón, adviser to communication at Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Radio.

Spain and four other EU states Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania and Greece still do not recognise the independence Kosovo declared in 2008.

Official Madrid said there is still work on reaching an agreement on normalising reports between Kosovo and Serbia.

The resolution of the February 27th meeting was open, but there is still work to be done on reaching an agreement on normalising reports based on the EU proposal, which has been welcomed by the European Council in February. Even though it is positive that both Pristina and Belgrade have agreed to the text of the proposal without any change, there will be no strong agreement without a clear plan on how to implement”, the envoy said in response. REL.

Although Spanish authorities do not make it clear whether they will change their position after reaching an eventual agreement on normalisation, Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi said on February 28th he expects non-recognitional European states to do so.

“There should be a unification of staying in the EU even from five member states that have not recognised Kosovo's independence. If EU countries have managed to take a unique stand over Russia's aggression against Ukraine, it is even easier to agree to reports between Kosovo and Serbia. If Serbia has the obligation not to prevent Kosovo's membership in any international organisation, there are no more reasons for either of the five EU nations not to support Kosovo, for example in membership in the Council of Europe, or in the EU integration process”, Bislimi has said.

On February 27th, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti -- and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq -- agreed that there is no longer a need for discussions concerning the European proposal, which also has the support of the United States, Germany, France and Italy.

The EU later said the parties have expressed readiness to work on the plan to implement the European proposal, aimed at leading the parties towards a final comprehensive agreement on normalising reports between Kosovo and Serbia.

The next meeting between Kurti and Vucinqi under the dialogue will be held on March 18th in Ohrid, North Macedonia. At this meeting, the European bloc expects leaders to discuss the implementation plan that is an integral part of the agreement between the two countries.

The EU wants the parties to agree at this meeting to an annex of the plan involving a clear calendar when all its elements must be fulfilled.

Kosovo and Serbia have been negotiating since 2011 to achieve full normalisation. However, the parties have different views regarding the final agreement. Kosovo insists on mutual recognition, and Serbia is in a compromise solution, without showing what compromise it is about.