Osmani: Association can be created, but without endangering Kosovo

She added that Kosovo is not seeking to clear off its obligations, but that there be as “parallel implementation of the agreement reached in Brussels, known as the basic agreement and the Ohrid Annex, where there are obligations for Kosovo but clear obligations for Serbia, which in their entirety imply de facto recognition of the Republic of Kosovo”.

Osmani spoke of security, security and international support for Kosovo's membership in international organisations, which would bring, as he said, more peace and security in the region.

Voice of America: However, Mrs. President, you said Serbia is not fulfilling its part of the deal, but in terms of the Association, which is the hottest part of it. There are observers who as a sovereign state, it is up to Kosovo to take steps in this direction. Here we are talking about your citizens, that percentage of the Serb community that are citizens of Kosovo. What is your opinion in this case?

Vjosa Osmani: Of course, it is up to Kosovo to take steps for Association and it is up to Serbia to take steps towards recognition and fact. Both are in the same agreement. We can't ignore articles 1 through 6 and jump to Article 7 alone and just ask for the implementation of a article. Kosovo is not saying that the Association will not be formed.

Voice of America: This is about the deal. I'm saying you as a state in relation to your citizens.

Vjosa Osmani: In relation to our citizens we should not create the impression that association helps Serbian citizens in Kosovo. In fact, the most advanced minority rights system exists in the Republic of Kosovo now, with the current Constitution, with the laws of the Ahtisaari package and other laws that we have adopted as a result of dialogue agreements.

With association, I assure you one thing, it only diminishes the rights of citizens and empowers a kind of power over them, so the leaders of association, which Vucic has at the moment intended to control and somehow make Kosovo dysfunctional. So the association does not give more rights to Serbian citizens, but rather gets more rights from below and sends them up, which is contrary to the basic principles of the Council of Europe, under which to strengthen minority communities must have more sovereignty from above and not opposite. Association actually does the opposite.

Even the secular lawyers of the Council of Europe have declared that it is not in line with the principles of the Council of Europe. However, we have given the promise and Kosovo is a serious state. When it takes on an international obligation, it must be implemented. But implementation of the Association is within a process and that process is the Basic Agreement.

Voice of America: In what environment would you make concessions to begin at least the process of establishing association, which could be, for example, the taking to the Constitutional Court? Not because you have no power over this...

Vjosa Osmani: The Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and the very judgments of the Constitutional Court, especially that of 2015, have clarified the procedure. So there must be an act on the part of the Government, which approves that document and then I can send it to the Constitutional Court, but not without such an act at first. That's what the practice was after 2018.

But I must clearly say that the establishment of Association does not mean that Kosovo is willing to make concessions that harm its functionality, its borders, the principle of state unitability and principles that are in the current Constitutional Court and the Constitutional Court Act.

The association can be created, but only within these Sosa, without endangering Kosovo or even security in the region in the future. Again, as I have said in preliminary interviews, I think Kosovo would have to be willing to move forward if clear security guarantees and guarantees for Kosovo's membership in international and recognition organisations. / VOA