Von Croamon: Association, legitimate request, Kosovo come up with proposal and ratify agreement

The rapporteur for Kosovo in the European Parliament, Violet von Cremon, called on the leadership in Kosovo to make progress in the dialogue with Serbia, including forming the Association of Serb majority municipalities before the European bloc holds elections on June 9th.

During a conference in Pristina after a several-day visit to Kosovo, von Croamon expressed concern over the support Kosovo may have in the EP after the June elections. She said polls have shown an increase in Europe by rightist, separate rightist parties.

“I think a new composition of the European Parliament can have an effect on the report with Kosovo and other states which could potentially be candidate states for EU membership”, the European lawmaker said.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (left), speaking with European Council President Charles Michel at an EU summit in Brussels on 23 March 2023.

According to von Croamon, in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, mediated by the EU, there has been progress. But, she said last year a big mistake has been made “, as the parties have not been asked to sign the Agreement on the road to normalisation, nor the Anex for its implementation.

Despite international pressure for the parties to implement the agreement, the European bloc has said it is not being implemented.

The normalisation agreement, of 11 provisions, also envisions a level of self-awareness for the Serb community in Kosovo and mutual recognition of state symbols, while demanding from Pristina and Belgrade to implement, as well, all previous agreements reached during the dialogue.

The Base Agreement, reached in February last year in Brussels, and then Anex for its implementation, which was reached in Ohrid in March, was not signed. But, the EU has said the agreement is legally binding for the parties.

I think last year has become a mistake for the Ohrid Agreement, not insisting on the signing of the [Base] Agreement and Annex [to implement] on both sides. I think that was a big mistake. I think that if we delay the process, we may have problems because we have elections in the EU in the summer and then some individuals who do not support Kosovo very much can come into force. Then we have Gaza, Ukraine, Taiwan different things, different problems, and I'm worried that at the end of the day no one cares about dialogue”, von Cromon said.

The Eurodeput said the Association of Serb majority municipalities is a legitimate requirement, adding that Kosovo must come up with a proposal for its formation and ratify the agreement on this matter.

Kosovo and Serbia have reached agreement on Association in 2013, and later 2015 on principles for its establishment.

But in 2015, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo has found that the agreement is not in full harmony with the Constitution.

Serbia wants Kosovo to implement the agreements reached, but the Kosovo government has been declared against a single-ethnic association.

In October 2023, representatives of the EU, the US, Germany, France and Italy presented it to the parties, Kosovo and Serbia, the draft state for the formation of association, which Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq accepted in principle. / REL