Government Seeks EU Removal of Sanctions

The Kosovo government calls for the European Union to remove punitive measures against Kosovo, following further reductions in police presence in and around municipal facilities. According to the executive, they remain committed to deespassing the situation in the north, and the implementation of the Bratislava agreement testifies. However, opposition parties and political analysts say Kosovo continues to be under measures because of Prime Minister Albin Kurti's wrong approach.

From the deputy prime minister's office, at the same time chief negotiator in the dialogue, Besnik Bislimi, say the European Union's measures towards Kosovo have been unfair and as such should be removed.

We have consistently stressed that the measures against Kosovo have been unfair and that already must be removed. The government of the Republic of Kosovo has been and remains committed to the deescation, which was witnessed and the agreement in Bratislava and implementation in its steps on the part of Kosovo”, says Klisman Kadiu, adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi.

But critical of the government is LDK chairmanship member Dzafer Tahiri, who tells Kosovo Press that Kosovo continues to be punished by the European Union due to Prime Minister Albin Kurti's wrong policy in dialogue and in the north.

With this withdrawal from the north, the fundamental question should be what Kosovo took, except that we received sanctions for the first time in Kosovo's history. These sanctions are unfortunately damaging Kosovo, as Kosovo's biggest achievement in the integration process towards the European Union has been the signing of the SAA as the first step towards the EU. Now this agreement has been suspended with EU sanctions, along with the other billions of euros in funds for the Western Balkans, in which Kosovo has been excluded. What we gained except that sanctions are still leaving us with this wrong Kurti policy in dialogue and north”, Tahiri says.

Long ago, at a meeting with journalists, Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi has said he does not think that new elections should be announced in the north without the removal of punitive measures. Prime Minister Albin Kurti later repeated this. These statements are interpreted as conditioning towards the EU.

The European Union has imposed punitive measures against Kosovo due to its failure to take action to reduce the situation in the north. These measures have entered into force on June 28th, until they include suspending the Kosovo funding programme, suspending continued support for procurement and signing contracts, suspending participation in high-level events, suspending bilateral visits, and Kosovo's proposal for the investment framework for the Western Balkans that will not be processed at this moment.

The European Union has called for greater commitment from the Kosovo side to implement the requirements for full enlargement of the situation in the north, including the announcement of elections in the north. /kp/