Politico writes Brussels seeks Association to remove measures

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has asked the European Union to lift punitive measures, accusing Brussels of easing Serbia amid regional tensions, writes the major international media, Polytico.

“We were criticised for the violence in the north last year unjustly ė and the EU imposed measures against Kosovo. On the other hand, Serbia is lined up with the Russian Federation in connection with aggression in Ukraine and there are no sanctions for Serbia”, Kurti said in an interview for Politico, in the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last week.

The EU struck Kosovo with restrictive measures last summer in response to an outbreak of violence related to local voting in the region. The measures in fact prevented several high-level meetings between EU and Kosovo officials, halted EU projects and stopped funding flows for Kosovo. They followed a year of more escalating tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, which were involved in a bloody war more than two decades ago.

The EU's decision to impose restrictions that reflected similar actions by the United States reflected growing disappointment with the Kurti government for handling controversial elections in the country's Serb-dominated north. The Serbian population boycotted the elections, which resulted in the election of four Albanian leaders with a small turnout. With police assistance, Kosovo deployed mayors, resulting in several months of violent incidents.

In a kind of progress, Kosovo and Serbia officially recognised license plates each other earlier this month a major source of tension over the past year. The EU welcomed this.

But it was not enough for Brussels to reconsider its restrictions on Kosovo.

“The EU has made specific requirements for the Kosovo depass and they have been clearly and repeatedly communicated to the Kosovo side”, an EU spokesperson for foreign policy said. “These measures are returnable, but Kosovo has not yet fully met those requests”.

EU requirements included the establishment of an association of Serb majority municipalities, a plan dating back to 2013, along with holding new elections in the north, writes Politico, presented the Express.

Kurti told Politico that his government is committed soon to holding new elections. The “may be this year's ) in the coming months”, he said, while adding that signatures from at least 20 per cent of voters would rightly be needed to launch a process that is under way.

Last month, several European countries asked the chief of EU diplomacy. Josep Borrell to '%i removes political and economic restrictions against Kosovo, noting also the role Serbia had played in an attack on a village last September. But the EU has not yet moved, with minimum contacts between Brussels and Pristina.

The EU has refrained from imposing measures against Serbia, despite widespread concerns about last month's elections in the country. Brussels sentenced “to crucial involvement” of Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq in the December 17th vote.

Kurti also said that Kosovo wants to join NATO, even though four coalition members have not yet recognised the state. We want to join NATO and the first historic moment would be Partnership for Peace”, Kurti said, referring to a programme allowing co-operation between NATO and non-member states.

His government has increased defence spending in part in response to increased Serbian aggression, he said. Kosovo recently bought Bayraktar fears from Turkey and will receive antitank Yavelin missiles from the US. NATO recently sent 130 additional troops to reinforce its mission in Kosovo.