Joseph: Association could be a condition for Council of Europe membership

American foreign policy analyst, in an interview for Kosova Press, says Kosovo-Serbia dialogue has stalled until it clearly qualifies Prime Minister Kurti's request for signing the Brussels Base Agreement and the Ohrid annex.

According to him, the establishment of association may be the right step, but if it is done in line with Kosovo's laws and Constitution and not a “Republic Srbska” However, it stresses that Serbs in Kosovo could be given a more limited form of autonomy in order to give up partitioning Kosovo and Serbia recognise Kosovo independence.

It is also talking about the European mediator's replacement for dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, and Kurti's reports with the Biden Administration and the dinar issue.

According to him, Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, has cancelled the Brussels agreement, so it is important that under current circumstances we have stronger guarantees for its currency through signing. However, the American professor says that if the association is done properly, it could be a good step towards resolving the drive in dialogue.

Speaking of Miroslav Lajcak's role in the dialogue, Joseph says he has worked hard and that he knows the Western Balkans very well.

According to him, the future emissary should be from a country that recognises Kosovo, while expressing its reservations to former Slovenian President Borut Bahor, who is being mentioned as Lajcak's possible replacement. As for Prime Minister Albin Kurti's reports with the Americans, he says they are not good and that this is unfortunate, as Kosovo needs the United States of America.

According to him, differences have been highlighted more in the decision on the dinar, which has had to be co-ordinated closely with the Allies.