Kupchan says preparation for establishment of association, serious decision for Kosovo

Professor of International Relations at American University, “Georgtown University” Charles Kupchan said the government's initiative to create a draft statute for establishing association is a serious decision for the Government, but also for the citizens of Kosovo. According to the American professor, the EU is deliberately pressuring Kosovo to establish association in exchange for becoming part of the Council of Europe.

The establishment of the Association of Serb-run municipalities continues to be the European Union's continued requirement towards Kosovo.

Such a request became even more vocal, as conditioning for the Republic to join the Council of Europe.

And according to American International Relations Professor Charles Kupchan, the initiative for establishing Association, is heavy for the Kosovo Government.

I think that the decision to prepare and implement Association is a serious and painful decision for the Kosovo government. It's like we say in the U.S., like pulling out your tooth. It's painful, people don't want to. What we see here is that the EU, the Council of Europe, creates incentives to make those serious decisions, offering political leverage, so Kurti can say that if we want admission to the Council of Europe, we have to do this”, he has declared.

According to him, the international factor will act similarly towards Serbia, increasing pressure to accept the Ohrid Agreement.

The same Tactical “will be used against Serbia. Given that we have ready agreements, the Ohrid Agreement, considering how hard it has been to push Serbia and Kosovo towards implementing the agreement, we see the EU, the Council of Europe, exploit the initiative to push this normalisation process forward. I think these are the issues that Europe can push against”, he told Tv1.

Following the September 24th attack on Banjska, Milan Radojicic is still remaining at large.

The American professor estimates that bringing Radojjicic to justice will take time.

The two sides, both governments, have a lot of work to do, reconciliations to do, we need to see Serbia do more, to account for those who have been responsible for acts of violence, and for other illegal activities. This is part of the long-term process, to push Kosovo and Serbia towards the final agreement and pressure the parties to make difficult decisions. ”

Days earlier, Prime Minister Albin Kurti has reiterated his request to Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, to hand Milan Radojicic over to Kosovo's justice bodies.