Power, Opposition Divided Over Albanian Prime Minister's Initiative for Status

The head of the parliamentary group of the ruling Vetevendosje Movement, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said Kosovo “does not need saviors in the form of offering a draft status”.

“We need information and ownership of principles which will be focused on the functioning of the state, with the rights of communities in Kosovo and, of course, with ownership and clarity for the future of our country”, Kusari-Lila said.

She stressed that Rama's initiative is probably well meant, “but could go wrong”, adding that she has not seen this document.

Earlier on June 8th, through a media conference, Rama announced that yesterday he has forwarded a draft to the Association of Serb-run municipalities in Kosovo to France President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

I'm here to let you know a previously unknown fact. Yesterday I passed to Scholzi and Macroni a draft of the Association, which I also informed Charles Michel and the American side”, Rama said during the conference.

Rama said the document is confidential, but indicated it is “an international high-level document that takes into consideration all the reasons for the creation of association and that association is part of the organisation of life for Kosovo”.

Kosovo's deputy head of the Parliament from the largest opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo, Enver Hoxhaj, said he saw Rama's draft status, but that the document has not provided by the Albanian prime minister.

I think Rama's initiative should have support in Kosovo. I think it is the right, just and necessary step that Albania has come up with such a proposal”, he said.

Hoxhaj said Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has only accepted the Association of Serb majority municipalities, with the Agreement towards normalising reports Kosovo and Serbia have reached earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the head of the Democratic League of Kosovo parliamentary group, Arben Gashi, said the Kosovo government is the competent institution to make proposals for the Association statute.

It's only the Government of Kosovo, no one else, no government of any other country”, Gashi said.

Besnik Tahiri, the head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo's parliamentary group, demanded that Rama's initiative be not prejudiced. He said, however, that this draft has not been seen.

Our position is very simple. The first, in principle something coming from the Albanian president, he has had a statement about the situation in the north something coming from the state of the nondo will have to be misjudged. On the other hand, government duties are domestic tasks that without a doubt the Government has to exercise, and our government is not exercising them. What emerges from this situation is that there is a non-communication, and communication reports between Albania and Kosovo are at the last point”, he said.

Kosovo and Serbia have reached agreements on Association since 2013 under the dialogue for normalising relations, mediated by the EU.

But, despite the international community's continued calls to implement it, Kosovo has consistently refused with the argument that broad competencies of association would threaten the internal functionality of the state.

Also, on February 27th in Brussels, Kosovo and Serbia reached the agreement towards normalisation of the reports, and on March 18th in Ohrid agreed to the Anex for implementation of this agreement. Article 7 of this agreement requires that the parties provide “an appropriate level of self-awareness of the Serb community in Kosovo”. Meanwhile, on Article 10 parties have pledged to implement all agreements reached within the dialogue, including the one for Association.

Kosovo's government has said that to create a level of self-advancing for the Serb community, it will push ahead with a Croatian model for national minorities. / REL