EU sees next meeting for dinar as last case for solution

The European Union expects the upcoming meeting between Kosovo and Serbia's top negotiators on the issue of the Serbian dinar to be the final case for solution and on the basis of the proposal made by the special European envoy for the dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak.

So EU spokesman Peter Stano said in a response to Radio Free Europe. He referred to the recent meeting in Brussels on 25 April between Kosovo's chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, and Serbia's Petar Petkovovic, when no reconciliation was reached for the transfer of financial means from Serbia to Kosovo following the Kosovo Central Bank's decision that only the euro will be currency for handling payments.

“After both sides clarified their positions, the EU facilitator presented a compromise proposal for arrangements for a temporary solution. The EU calls on both sides to accept this proposal and remains ready to be host to the final meeting, if the parties engage constructively in terms of the EU proposal”, Stano told REL.

The next meeting on the subject is expected to be in Brussels in two weeks. Petkov, after the last meeting, said the next round of talks could be held on May 13th.

After the 25 April meeting, Bislimi said Lajcak's new proposal aims to close the sides' positions in terms of financial assistance from Serbia to Serbs in Kosovo.

He did not show concrete details of the proposal, but said Kosovo and Serbia should give their opinion on it in the next seven days.

“Let's say that today's proposal is more detailed than the previous one, and better clarify some of the points and remarks we've had on his original” ideas, Bislimi said, adding that the proposal is a good attempt to find solutions and that within Lajcak's key points is to address how people affected by the BQ decision can continue to receive financial assistance from Serbia.

Several proposals for finding a solution under which Serbia could make payments to users of financial aid in Kosovo have been provided at meetings in Brussels on this issue.

With the new CEC regulation, the euro was designated as the only currency in Kosovo for carrying out cash payments on February 1st. The introduction of this regulation has angered Serbia, which through its state budget sends financial assistance to Serbs living in Kosovo.

The international community has urged Kosovo to suspend the regulation in order to give citizens time to adjust to the new practice.

But, the Kosovo government has insisted that it is about an independent BEC decision, not political decision.

Meanwhile, Stano, during a media conference in Brussels on April 29th, dismissed criticism that dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has not succeeded and that agreements are not being implemented by the parties.

He reiterated the EU's position that even though the agreement on the road to normalisation and Anex for its implementation that the parties reached last year have not been signed, the agreements are legally binding on Kosovo and Serbia.

Neither side has yet to take steps towards implementing this agreement. Kosovo is also criticised for not starting the establishment of the Association of Serb majority municipalities, while Serbia is criticised for the steps it is taking to prevent Kosovo's membership in international organisations, including the current process of membership in the Council of Europe. Among other things, the agreement reached last year says Serbia will not oppose Kosovo's membership in any international organisation.

The fact that they have not moved towards implementing and normalising the reports is their failure and not the failure of the EU”, Stano said, and added that normalising the reports is in the interest of the citizens of Kosovo and Serbia and that they would feel the consequences because it would prevent their states' EU integration.

In countless cases we have said the agreements are legally binding. And there is no better evidence of that than the fact that they are an integral part of the EU integration process for both Serbia and Kosovo”, Stano said.

Last week, EU ministers have adopted the decision to change Serbia's negotiating framework for EU integration, including as a formal condition the implementation of the Agreement on the road to normalising reports with Kosovo and the Annex for implementation of the agreement.