Kosovo's aspirations for the KiE fight with Association, the US says without the second one not achieved first

When Kosovo's fate has now crossed into the hands of the Parliamentary Assembly, the need for devotion and maintenance of democracy in the country is being markedly highlighted.

In order to fully participate in the KiE, Kosovo appears to have been put to a test of the fulfillment of some “tasks”, as a conditioning form for membership in this European organisation.

The last one to give a comment about Kosovo's accession process to the Council of Europe was the American emissary for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.

Although not in an experimental way, Escobar said today that, now that Kosovo has passed the first stage, KiE must see high standards of democracy in the country. And here, he got in touch with the Association of Serb majority municipalities and the need to establish it as a condition for meeting the KiE standards.

According to the American emissary, the Council of Europe, during further review of the application, will focus exclusively on the situation of the Serb community in Kosovo.

The Council of Europe is tasked with ensuring that in European space within those countries that apply, standards of democracy and democratic freedom are fully implemented. When I say it is binding, I think there is space within the KiE to review the terms and status of the Serb minority in Kosovo. This will be a major focus of the next step of the KiE”, Escobar said today in an online conversation with journalists.

It is noteworthy that any country joining the Council of Europe agrees to undergo independent monitoring mechanisms that assess that state's compliance with human rights and democratic practices.

Escobar reiterated that in this respect, we should see moves towards establishing association, which continues to cause division between the Kosovo and the Serbian sides in dialogue.

“in this context, I think we need to see movement in Association, movement for addressing some legitimate concerns that the Serb minority in northern Kosovo has for their treatment. KiE is an obligation and even important, especially now”, he said further.

At Tuesday's meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, the management team presented a draft statute for Association.

This draft was rejected by the chief executive, representative of the Kosovo side, under the argument that it does not comply with the Kosovo Constitution.

The two sides are expected to meet again within this month to discuss further progress in determining a concrete proposal that suits both Kosovo and Serbia.

That was also the call of American emissary Gabriel Escobar.

“Topi is in the field of both sides now, to start shaping their proposals to make it more acceptable for the other side and to start working on a model that can work on European frameworks and that would protect the rights of the Serb community in Kosovo”.