Bosch: Kosovo fail to act against US, British mission

The European Union has warned it will make public the punitive measures against Kosovo, which member states have prepared, according to them, because no steps have been taken to reduce tensions in the country's north.

What I read certainly seems extremely serious, but not so serious because of the situation there, but because of the reaction, action or whatever the European Commission or the European Union, or whatever you want to call it. Because I have to say they're extremely aggressive and threatening with all sorts of things, so that makes it so serious. Of course you have to surrender to their demands, even though I think they're not 100% justified, but of course one of the main requirements is to withdraw the special police, special police forces. However, if they ask for it, unless you have police there anymore, then I think it's okay”, he says.

The diplomat, who has served in Kosovo, advises Government led by Albin Kurti not to act against the mission of state allies.

But, according to me, you also have to make it very clear, much clearer, what you do to express your thoughts, but don't go against the mission of the people who so far were your greatest friends; The United Kingdom and the United States, especially the United States, and the EU to a smaller extent, because you certainly still have this problem that five countries still do not know (Kosovo). So it means that the EU is, let's say, less serious than the UK and the United States. But you still have to listen. Mr. Cleverly, the British Foreign Minister also said before you should do it, even if it feels unfair, do”, he says.

Among the measures cited by the EU is the suspension of the work of all working groups for the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the disapproval of projects by the fund for investment in the Western Balkans, and the suspension of EU funding programmes.

This has been made known this week by European Commission Enlargement General Director Jan Koopman, who has stressed that the measures are returnable if steps are taken towards stressing the situation.

For the former ambassador of the Netherlands, it is unclear why all of this is against Kosovo, when Serbia is creating all the problems.

“I really don't know why they are so much against Kosovo, while problems have created Serbs. It is not because you have created a problem. They have created problems. Why are you being so punished for what Serbs did? And I don't mean whether behind these is the government of Belgrade or other groups, the two groups that are now declared terrorist organisations, which I also think... why do you call terrorist organisations, you can say they are criminal organisations; of course, the terrorist is one step further, too, that doesn't help you when you exaggerate, because now is the time to try to moderate, to be more moderate. Normally you Kosovo side, you've always been quite moderate compared to the Serbs. But, I mean, now is the time to be even more moderate, because reasonable or unreasonable, in my view, unreasonablely, they've pushed you into a corner and you have to do something to get out of this corner”, says Bosch.

Early in June, the US envoy for the Balkans, Gabriel Escobar and the European Union's emissary for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, have presented three requests to Prime Minister Kurti: Calming the situation in the north, holding new elections and turning into dialogue.

Bosch stresses that elections in the four northern municipalities should be held as soon as possible.

You've been punished that you haven't done exactly what you've been told and of course, I think it's very unfair what you're looking for, but according to me, please do it anyway, because what's the main thing you're looking for and you're not doing is to draw special forces into the police and all the rest of them, and then it's certainly the association, but, as I said, if you do it by the Constitutional Court it's nothing. So, I mean, you have to give up on these things, that's all I say, because if you do what they say, they can't get mad at you anymore, because then you've done it, and then you keep these new choices as soon as possible and if they don't participate again, then it's their problem, it's those who've made the problem”, he says.

The situation in northern Kosovo has been tense since May 26th, when elected mayors have been forced to go to their jobs under the assistance of the Kosovo Police.

Since then, Serb protesters have been standing in front of municipal buildings, which are opposing Albanian leaders.

During this time, protesters in the north, including those in masks, have attacked members of the Kosovo Police, KFOR as well as journalists who are reporting from the northern part of the country.

And after that, Serbian forces have kidnapped three Kosovo border police officers within the territory of our country, which they have held for nearly two weeks.

They were released only after pressure from internationals, particularly the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Germany.

“You arrived there, because after this issue all the structures were dissolved, the Kosovo Serb structures, I mean not only that their municipal mayors resigned, but also the police, judges and prosecutors all resigned, which certainly did this whole situation, and then came to the vacuum, and this was certainly not caused by you, but by those who resigned. So, and the license issue was also, you can't be blamed, they blamed you for forcing people to change plates, but it was agreed years and years ago, but it was postponed, and it was postponed, and it was postponed. You can't blame yourself for this, even strangers at the time said it's reasonable, that they should have these plates, and after that all of this”, he says.

The diplomat from the Netherlands says there should be order and law in the northern part of Kosovo as well.

I don't know what the EU or even the Americans say, they said it's okay and now when everything goes wrong, it's your fault. I think it's very strange and very unfair, but the thing is that the problem is it's caused by them, by Serbs, by completely (from institutions), because then you have a situation that you need, of course, everywhere in every country, and especially in a place like where the law and order are already very weak. You can't have law and order. You must have the police, and then you may ask, should we bring in the special police or bring in the normal police, or even the EULEX police, I don't know, but I mean there must be police. And now of course, you're being pushed by the EU and by the Americans who have to specifically evacuate the special police. All right, if you've been asked, okay, then you have to do it, you have to listen to Lajcak”, he says.

Kosovo police are continuing to take care of municipal facilities in the country's north, as the presence of KFOR soldiers continues.

Bosch estimates that peacekeeping troops must continue to stay there.

“As for KFOR, of course KFOR must stay there and be there (in the north), as a moderator force. And another thing that I was thinking about, that I don't know whether the Serb members of the Kosovo Police pulled out or couldn't be able to go back, could they just be able to say the same, not the other people, but the same people you ask, please come back, we would forgive you for what you did, that you just disappeared without permission, but please come back, this may also be an opportunity, of course it's not fully according to the rule of law, but who cares now about the exact rule of law, because this is an extremely strange situation. So you have to do something to get out of this real crisis where your country is. I still don't think it's fair to be pushed so far into a corner, but it's happening, and then that's the fact of life and you have to be able to react to it properly, as adults, and be flexible”, Bosch says.

Kosovo and Serbia have agreed to basic agreements on February 27th in Brussels, while they have also agreed to its annex on March 18th in Ohrid.

Unlike Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, ready to sign and implement the agreement on the ship, has been Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

When he came to Belgrade (Vucciq), the first thing he said, the key thing of this agreement, we do not let Kosovo become a member of the United Nations, and as he specifically said, we will never know it, but so it was okay, because it was not part of the agreement, recognition, but membership in international organisations, including the United Nations, was the main thing of this agreement. And then, also, I haven't heard anyone say that, if you say that, Mr. Vuchy, that's actually undermining all of this from the beginning, we can't see you as a serious partner anymore. Nobody said that. On the contrary, I think Mr. Hill and Mr. Borrell said he was a very serious partner, again, very strange because he's not a serious partner. He's the only one who immediately, the main point of the deal here he's undermined, and now Mr. Scholz again asked both sides to sit down and do something, which is certainly good to put together the two sides, but also to say, "Mr. If you don't, you will have serious consequences, because at least the Kosovo side has been positive, but you've been just negative. So, of course there must be, in my opinion, some pressure or sanction should be made, and not against you, but against Serbia, because it's what's caused these problems and it's still causing problems, and not just here, we've seen what happened in Republika Srpska”, he adds.

While, in terms of association, Bosch says Kosovo should form it in line with the country's constitution and “if Serbs are not happy, it is their problem”.

The Serbian majority municipalities' “Association should do it under the Constitutional Court's decision. So it means this is an association without executive competence. And then what's the problem with having this association? Of course the Serbs will say, "oh, it's terrible, it's terrible, but it's their problem. You've done your duty, you've done this association and in accordance with your Constitution, and if they're not happy then it's their problem. But now it's your problem, because you haven't done it yet”, he says.

Following EU warnings of penalties against Kosovo, Prime Minister Albin Kurti has reacted by saying that in terms of European values, our country is one of the most sincere and stable partners in the region.

Linked to demands for suspension of the situation, the chief of executives has expressed readiness to reduce the number of policemen in municipal buildings in the north, but stressing that this is done in proportion to the establishment of order in that part.

That way, according to him, will open the way to early elections. /Kosovapress