Senator Murphy calls Kurt: Association issue must be carried out this year

The two US senators, Chris Murphy and Gary Peters, met on 22 May in Pristina with the president, Vjosa Osmani, and Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Senator Murphy said both Kosovo and Serbia are ahead of difficult solutions.

Serbia must stop from hindering Kosovo from membership in international organisations, and I think it is understandable that Serb majority municipalities have some opportunity to co-ordinate the services they offer. But time matters a lot. It is the year when this issue should be carried out and the movement towards normalisation is possible, leading to mutual recognition. So, we're glad to hear about your plans to implement this agreement and we're willing to support you”, he said after meeting Kurt.

He made similar statements after the meeting he held in advance with President Osmani.

“We are pleased to see the recent agreement between Kosovo and Serbia involving mutual recognition of official documents, but also the difficult steps that must be taken by both sides”, Murphy said after meeting with the first state.

He referred to the agreement towards normalising reports Kosovo and Serbia reached 27 February in Brussels, as well as its implementation Anex, which was reached in Ohrid on 18 March.

The agreement, of 11 provisions, does not specifically mention mutual recognition, but requires the parties to accept each other's documents and symbols, including passports, diplomas and license plates.

Also, the Ohrid Agreement requires that the parties implement all agreements reached so far in the dialogue on normalising relations, including that of forming the majority Serb municipalities in Kosovo, which the government in Pristina has so far rejected, with the argument that it could jeopardise the functionality of the state.

President Osmani said that at the meeting he has shown US senators all violations Serbia is committing to this agreement, including Kosovo's failure to prevent in international organisations.

After the meeting, Prime Minister Kurti demanded that the agreement towards normalisation be implemented fully.

“They [the basic agreement and the Annex] represent the advancement of relations between the two countries and are platforms for their full normalisation. Therefore, we need comprehensive, quick, and unconditional application.

In April, Serbia has voted against the demand for Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe, despite the agreement towards normalisation that it will not present such obstacles.

Meanwhile, Senator Peters praised the reports between Kosovo and the US and promised continued assistance and co-operation from Washington.

We will continue to see opportunities to provide cyber security co-operation and also improve reports with US military forces and interact with other forces across Europe”, Peters said.

The two senators' visit to Kosovo comes days after the US Senate's Foreign Affairs Committee held a session for Washington's policy in the Western Balkans.

U.S. State Department senior adviser Derek Chollet and Washington's envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, were declared in this session. Both officials called on Kosovo and Serbia to implement the agreement towards normalisation and Pristina to establish the Association of Serb majority municipalities as soon as possible.

Kosovo and Serbia have reached two agreements for Association in 2013 and 2015.

But, the agreement on principles for establishing association, according to the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, is not in full harmony with the highest judicial act of the state.

However, the Constitution has said it can be harmonised with legal acts.

Serbia seeks the establishment of association, but the government in Pristina has expressed fears that a unilateral association could affect the functioning of the state.