Americans make Kurt “emergency” Association, waiting for draft-status

Prime Minister Albin Kurti constantly requires full implementation of the “recognition de facto” agreement, which he recently reached with Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq.

But implementing this agreement, it seems that the US is now urging it to start with the most difficult point for Kosovo to establish the Association of Serb majority municipalities.

The United States' special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, had said after the recent meeting between Kurti and Vuciqi that the implementation of the agreement should start with Association.

“The EU and the US are focused on making this [stolen in Ohrid] agreement a reality. Implementation begins with forming the Association of Serb majority municipalities”, Escobar said during a media conference on May 3rd, held online.

US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Havenier mentioned the founding of the Association last night when he spoke about priority issues he is engaged in. He in an interview for Television 21 said that association is “a vital step ahead of” in the process of implementing the agreement on the road towards normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Kosovo has pledged in 2013 to establish the Association of Serb-run municipalities. We have been very clear publicly for a long time and we expect it to be done, and now it is more urgent and timely because it is a fundamental element of Kosovo's responsibility and Kosovo's dedication both with the Brussels Agreement, but even when it comes to the agreement on normalisation of relations. We want to see him move forward and urgently, and we think it's time now”, Hovenier said.

Thus, the American ambassador says they are not creating problems for Kosovo, believing that this would actually solve problems. “A wants Kosovo to take its place in European and Euro-Atlantic structures”, Havener has asked. “If so, then this is the way. If not, this too is a choice. It's not something we impose or condemn. It's only reality that comes if you fail to implement...”

Waiting for Kurti draft status

US special envoy Gabriel Escobar had expected that, until the last meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq would have a proposal from the Kosovo Government for the Association of Serb-run municipalities. “I hope that by May 2nd there will be a concrete proposal”, he was expressed on April 20th in an interview for the Albanian Voice of America service.

Now, there is no longer just waiting for Kosovo to move to make the Association.

Kosovo's “also is expected to form the Association of Serb majority municipalities. Excuse me, this isn't waiting. It's due”, Escobar said on May 21st, in an interview for the Montenegrin news agency, Mina. He said he wants the work of implementing the latest agreement to be carried out by the end of the summer.

Kurti at the last meeting with Vuciqi in Brussels rejected a draft of the Association statute, which was introduced by a management team consisting of four Serbs. He had said that “is the result of the will for Republika Srpska in Kosovo” and fired this team back to Pristina.

At that meeting, Kurti has proposed a <x0-vision” for the work of regulating the Serb community in Kosovo, which he said was inspired in the Croatian model.

British Ambassador to Kosovo Nicholas Abbott said two weeks ago that the time has come for Kosovo to formally propose a draft state for the Association of Serb majority municipalities, indicating that Kosovo's “alates want to see progress in normalising relations with Serbia”.

So now is the time for Kosovo to formally propose a draft statute for an Association, based on the vision set by the prime minister last week, in line with the criteria set by the EU”, Abbott wrote on Facebook on May 9th.

The same was requested a week ago by Germany's ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, following a meeting with members of the Parliamentary Commission for Foreign Affairs. He said Kurt's vision was not enough.

The best “Draft can be prepared by Kosovo itself for Kosovo. A vision is not a draft. What we need from Kosovo as soon as possible is a draft, to see what concrete ideas it has for the Association of Serb majority municipalities. This, I think, is Kosovo's obligation to bring this process forward”, Rohde said on May 16th.

The visit of two American senators to Pristina, Chris Murphy and Gary Peters on Monday, brought the warning that Prime Minister Albin Kurti now has to undertake difficult “steps in dialogue with Serbia. They have shown that they have pressured the heads of the state of Kosovo to move “with speed” towards establishing the Association of Serb majority municipalities, showing “a new level of seriousness” on the issue.

Internationals consider the “significant location” draft of the Association statute, which was released on 2 May in Brussels.

The visit of two American senators to Pristina, Chris Murphy and Gary Peters on Monday, brought once again the warning that Prime Minister Albin Kurti must now take hard “steps” in dialogue with Serbia. They have shown that they have pressured the heads of the state of Kosovo to move “with speed” towards establishing the Association of Serb majority municipalities, showing “a new level of seriousness” on the issue.

Meanwhile, President Vjosa Osmani has warned whether the mediators will seek something between Kosovo's proposal and Serbia's for association.

The problem is that if EU officials ask for the statute itself to be one in the middle of what Serbia wants and what Kosovo proposes, there's always danger there if there's elements of Serbia's proposal taken, there's always a risk of moving towards destabilising”, the chief of state said on May 20th.

Meanwhile, the demand of diplomats for Kurti to draft a proposal for what the Association will look like has concerned Vucinqi, who reacted sharply Tuesday, telling US envoy for the Balkans Gabriel Escobar to read the previous agreement. He said Kosovo institutions “have no right to make proposals”, warning that he would not participate in any meeting with Kurti if the latter would go with a draft post for association.