2 minutes agoAccording to all odds, Lajcak comes to Kosovo on Tuesday
Periskopi(3 years ago)
(3 years ago)The European Union's special envoy for the dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, during this week, likely from Tuesday, will visit Kosovo and Serbia, in an effort to relax the situation in northern Kosovo and convince the parties to return to dialogue. It teaches Radio Free Europe from several sources [...]
The European Union's special envoy for the dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, during this week, likely from Tuesday, will visit Kosovo and Serbia, in an effort to relax the situation in northern Kosovo and convince the parties to return to dialogue.
Thus teaches Radio Europe Free of some diplomatic sources, although in the EU they have not yet officially confirmed this visit.
In Pristina, Lajcak is expected to meet with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and in Belgrade with Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq.
The EU continues to reiterate calls for both sides to take immediate steps to intensify the situation and return to dialogue on normalisation of reports, mediating Brussels. These calls were made even during the recent summit of EU leaders, which was held last week in Brussels.
The EU is calling for the withdrawal of special Kosovo Police units from the vicinity of municipal buildings in the north, in parallel with the withdrawal of Serb protesters. Similarly, the European bloc is calling for the withdrawal of new mayors from municipal buildings, the announcement of elections in the north, and the public pledge of Serbs to participate in the vote.
Due to the failure to meet these requirements, the EU has begun to implement some punitive measures against Kosovo. But, in the EU, we have said that “we are willing to take steps even against Serbia if we assess that it is not acting according to expectations”.
Officials in the EU have said punitive measures have communicated to Kosovo on June 28th.
These include: the temporary suspension of the work of troops created under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, Kosovo's failure to meet high-level meetings and the suspension of bilateral visits, in addition to those focusing on addressing the crisis in northern Kosovo within the framework of EU-enlightened dialogue.
Other measures include halting Kosovo funds programming 2024 (Pre-membership Instruments). Kosovo's proposals under the Investment Framework in the Western Balkans have also not been submitted for review by the board 29 June and 30 June.
Since tensions increased in the north in late May, there have been no meetings within the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, have held several “crisis meetings” in Brussels, but have not held bilateral meetings. Separate meetings of Kosovo and Serbia leaders with EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Josep Borrell have ended without concrete results.
Tensions in northern Kosovo, inhabited by Serb majority, began on May 26th, when the young Albanian mayors of Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviqi, entered the municipal buildings under Kosovo Police's escort.
Serbs rejected this and have been holding protests ever since, demanding the withdrawal of new leaders and special police units.
