German MP: EU not taking sides in dialogue

German Bundestag MP Thomas Hacker has come to the defense of the European mediator in dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak.

Hacker has said that the European Union is not taking Serbia's side in dialogue with Kosovo.

The latest round of talks between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels is not being remembered for any progress, but for the open criticism Prime Minister Albin Kurti addressed to EU emissaries.

According to Kosovo Prime Minister Miroslav Lajcak, he is already taking Serbia's side at the negotiating table.

But that is not how German Bundestag deputy Thomas Hacker, who says that only the impression the European bloc is taking sides with Serbia in negotiations with Kosovo, thinks.

I don't see the European Union taking sides between Kosovo and Serbia. The real goal of the European bloc is to help the parties resolve the problems they have between them and to move them towards a better future. Of course there are stages when it may seem that the EU is favouring one side more than the other, but that does not mean it is, it is just an impression. Germany is very committed to helping both sides”, Thomas Hawker said.

He says both sides are wasting too much time and are showing no willingness to implement the agreements reached.

The “alone through real dialogue can be overcome by the crisis in northern Kosovo. It's a pity that we're not seeing the will of the parties to implement the agreements, and time is running out. Kosovo and Serbia should think seriously about their future, build communication bridges, and move forward towards membership in the European Union”, MP Hacker has declared.

The German MP has also spoken on the issue of the Serb majority Communist Association.

He says there is fear that through the Association a part of Kosovo territory will be cut off, but that does not have to happen, according to him.

The Serbian majority municipalities' association is one of the agreements to be respected, and it is now up to Prime Minister Albin Kurti to make a solution to the issue. I can see that there is fear that through the Association there will be a scenario where part of the country can be removed but that doesn't have to happen and this scenario has to be avoided. The sides must understand that eventually they will come to a point where they should know each other because otherwise they will not be able to become part of the European family”, German deputy Thomas Hawker said.

While Kurti has expressed disappointment with the role of EU executives in dialogue, Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, in some cases, has stressed that I will never recognise Kosovo's independence. /Tave1