Weber: The government was either naive to association as a condition, or thought it exceeded France and Germany

Weber has declared that it would thus without preventing a negative vote, the unsuccessful vote on Kosovo.

According to him, this has become clear after Western states imposed on Kosovo a condition for taking concrete steps to establish the Association of Serb-run municipalities.

He has added that Kosovo's demonstrated optimism on this issue is based entirely on the formal process of application and conditioning, the signal reports.

Commenting on the prime minister's statement, Albin Kurti, who rejected this condition, Weber said Kurti is formally right, but lacks political points on the issue.

He added that there are two potential reasons for the failure of Kosovo membership, or the government according to him has been naive by failing to understand the political part of <x0). <x0).

Weber said he does not believe Prime Minister Kurti is naive.

Do you expect the issue of Kosovo membership on the Council of Europe to be on the agenda of the Committee of Ministers' meeting on May 16th and 17th?

Weber: Unfortunately not. It seems to be finally clear after developments and statements by key actors in recent days that Kosovo's top European allies, i.e. France, Italy and Germany demand from the Kosovo government that the QUINT Association draft be sent to the Constitutional Court and that Kurti Government is not prepared to do so. As a result, Kosovo's application for membership will not be put in order day, to avoid a failed vote, which would be an even greater embarrassment to all sides. So, unless there's any last minute progress in the next two or three days, I just don't think it's going to happen.

If this issue goes into agenda, do you think Kosovo's membership will be voted?

Weber: Well, if Kosovo's application for membership were to be put in order days only if Kosovo meets the conditions of these European capitals, in this case yes, there would be a successful vote.

How do you see the recently created situation over the issue of establishing association?

Weber: As something unfortunately expected, despite all in Kosovo and beyond claim they are surprised at the movement of the EU capitals. For months, all claimed that Kosovo's application for membership was on track, despite the fact that the government's membership bid had been a unilateral movement and political dialogue in general was destroyed, undermining relations with Kosovo's main Western allies. Pristina's demonstrated optimism was based entirely on the formal process of application and conditioning. However, as the Haradinaj Government's latest failed application in 2019 has proved, Kosovo can succeed only when the application is fully co-ordinated with Kosovo's allies and when political dialogue progresses.

How did the Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's statement, which rejected this condition, comment that it did not concern the country's accession to the Council of Europe?

Weber: Prime Minister Kurti is formally right, but lacks political point: As I said, as the last failed application for membership has proved, it is the formal process of formal application and formal conditions, and then there is the broader political context of political dialogue, whether it is right and meaningful or not. Thus, although European capitals at the end of the process made it clear to “their <x1-> political constitution, this should not be a surprise. There are two potential reasons for the failure of Kosovo's membership, or the government has been naive by not understanding the political part of “cension”, or they have understood, but they have thought they could outrun European capitals and push towards support. I don't think Prime Minister Kurt is naive.

What do you think Kosovo should do at this point?

Weber: Taking into account the fact that the current policy of dialogue, the German-French initiative, the Basic Agreement and the Annexi of Ohrid de facto have collapsed, also taking into consideration that in proposing the statute of Association proposed by Quinti has problematic elements and aspects, and also the fact that the West has not provided a convincing guarantee to Pristina that it would prevent association from developing in a direction contrary to the integrity of the Kosovo state, the future of Serbs and regional stability, that Prime Minister Kurti is well advised not to surrender and forward the draft to the Kosovo Constitutional Court. Even if at the moment it burdens Kosovo's application for membership in the Council of Europe.

Do you still think that the European Union and the United States “should accept that their policy so far has failed”?

Weber: It is quite clear that the German-French initiative has failed. I said it before Banjska. Since Banjska, all the respective Western capitals and actors fully know this is the case. What is worse, this last phase in dialogue has destroyed the little progress that has remained since a decade of political dialogue, and the status quo in the north has also been destroyed, jeopardising security and stability. It means that we are almost a year at a stage where the authors of the current approach of dialogue are fully aware of his failure, but not willing to admit it. Unfortunately, international politics normally doesn't function in a way that someone admits failure and then changes course. We hope that the departure of European emissary Lajcak and his American counterpart Escobar and the future change to the European Commission will provide a chance for an urgent change of policy.

So, do you think the Association of Serb majority municipalities will be established?

Weber: Not in the near future and it shouldn't be, given the current conditions. Association is the most misunderstood issue in dialogue. It had a very specific meaning in the context of the original political dialogue 2012-14, and the initial historical progress it achieved. With the loss of strategic direction of dialogue, the issue of association naturally stalled. The issue of association is a complex issue ʹ contains very problematic, dangerous, and at the same time cannot be overlooked, because it is closely combined with the collective fears of Kosovo Serbs. For all these reasons, there is only one way to resolve the issue of Association ʹ under a final, comprehensive agreement on dialogue between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia, including formal recognition of Kosovo by Serbia.

What do you think is the only choice and path to normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia?

Weber: A complete and deep restoration of EU political dialogue and based on a complete twist in Western politics for Serbia, in a way that ends the failed Vuciqi regime policy, taking advantage of opportunities provided by Russian aggression against Ukraine.