Meeting in Brussels, Arifi: Could there be any development, parties risk EU fund beneficiary status

Kosovo's former chief negotiator in dialogue with Serbia, Avni Arifi, has spoken of expectations from tomorrow's meeting in Brussels amid top negotiators, Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petkov.

He says the meeting is taking place at the time when the EU has its growing fund on the table, and both sides expect astronomical funds from the EU.

Tomorrow's “Meeting will be different from previous meetings where it was easy to predict that nothing would exist and actually no meeting of them produced any results. This meeting is taking place at the time when the EU has introduced the growth fund to the table, which both sides expect astronomical funds from the EU. Kosovo is expected for three years to receive $880 million, while Serbia doubles that sum”, he estimates.

Arifi says both sides risk the title of the destructive side and risk the status of fund beneficiaries and can expect any developments that revive serious engagement in dialogue.

The “both sides risk taking the title of destructive side and jeopardizing the status of fund beneficiary. Perhaps for the first time there may be a development that revives the prospects of serious engagement in this process”, claims Avni Arifi for Blic newspaper.