Will Vuchy Kurt meet in September?

Kosovo says it is implementing an agreement it had to reach with the European Union for the extension of the situation in the north. After receiving the European bloc's punishment and later agreed to a austerity plan, Prime Minister Albin Kurti could land in September in front of Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq in a return to a dialogue interrupted by tensions in the north that escalated to violence.

From Brussels they have not responded whether there will be a Kurti-Vucciq meeting in September, but it is certain that the internationals want both to return to dialogue as soon as possible, where implementation of the agreement on the road to normalisation will be the primary.

The West still considers the finalised agreement in Ohrid historic. That is what the special envoy of the United States for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, who visited northern Macedonia Friday.

The situation in the north exceeded about two months from the March 18th meeting in Ohrid between Kurt and Vuciqi, where what was called the “Agreement on the Path of Normalisation of Relations between Kosovo and Serbia” was finalised.

The road was quite different, but the international effort now is for them to land as soon as possible to do jobs in dialogue.

US Ambassador to Belgrade Christopher Hill recently said in an interview in the Serbian-language programme of the Voice of America that he expects in the direction of the stress of the situation to have new moves in September, as he considers it urgent “a progress on this matter”.

I think at least we know who the ingredients are for a kind of peaceful future. It is very clear that we need an Association of Serbian municipalities. Clearly, Kosovo needs better access to international structures. So I think we basically know what we're gonna try to do. The problem is uniting everything. It's like a big mosaic. Put it on the table, then you have to put it together. It's not easy”, Hill said.

Just three days after the finalisation of the agreement in Ohrid, EU emissary Miroslav Lajcak had said it was a secret they want its implementation to take place this year. Asked in an interview on Radio Free Europe whether to expect implementation of the agreement this year, because next year there will be elections and other important issues, Lajcak replied: “Srirsch, we had planned many concrete deadlines on the original document. Now, we don't want the parties to impose deadlines. We have to agree on this when we meet. But this isn't secret”

France's Ambassador to Kosovo Olivier Guérot has said in an interview that at the end of July, “new high-level meetings must be organised “, encouraging the parties to take a constructive stance to achieve implementation of this agreement as soon as possible”.

“at this stage, a new summit between the EU, Kosovo and Serbia should be organised at the beginning of the school year, but belongs to European facilitator, Mr. Lajcak, assess the proper pace of the talks. We have full confidence in him”, the French ambassador said.

Urgently to implement the agreement requires the US. American Ambassador to Pristina. Jeffrey Houvenier has said weeks ago that forming the Association of Serb majority municipalities should also happen soon.

“From the Government of Kosovo we demand that steps be taken to expand the situation in the north and create a new environment where both states can work on implementing all commitments under the Ohrid Agreement. For Kosovo, this means moving forward with an emergency in the process of negotiating and establishing the Association of Serb majority municipalities. This is part of pledges made by the Kosovo government. This is not the only obligation it has, and this is not the only article of the Ohrid Agreement, but it's important”, Havenier said during a media address.

On July 18th, Kosovo was the main topic of discussion at Capitol Hill, where US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar reported before the US Congress on the situation in the region. He spoke of the need to implement the recent agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, which according to him is the way the new Balkan state will lead to international organisations. The American diplomat said the highest US aspirations in the region are for Kosovo to become a member of NATO, the European Union and to ensure a seat in the UN. In this direction, he said that forming association is “a key element”.

The accord urges Serbia to recognise Kosovo's sovereignty and its territorial integrity. Turkey recognises national symbols, the flag, government documents, diplomas, car license plates and prohibits Serbia from blocking Kosovo's membership in international organisations. Kosovo is required to implement its mandate to form the Association of Serb-run municipalities. We believe that both countries should be engaged immediately in these aspects, without preconditions. They must start doing their part”, Escobar said.

This agreement, Escobar, considers that it has offered the US “the greatest possibility in the past 15 years” to co-operate with the Government of Kosovo to launch “not just a European recognition campaign, but a global recognition campaign”. /gazetaexpress