German warning of Kosovo exclusion from regional initiatives required to be taken seriously

According to them, the Berlin Process and regional co-operation do not accept the trade blockade, so requirements for the removal of security measures against Serbian goods must be taken into account. However, in the ruling party, Vetevendosje Movement continues to insist on the need to keep these measures, as they say Kosovo's exclusion from the Berlin Process or the creation of any regional mechanism without Kosovo would fuel divisions among states in the Western Balkans.

PDK MP Blerta Deliu says the Kurti government should not behave arrogantly over German requirements for regional co-operation.

According to her, German Minister for Europe Anna Luhrmann's warnings and emissari Manuel Sarrazzin's to Kosovo should be taken seriously, on the contrary, as she says Kosovo risks staying isolated in the region.

The warnings we have heard absolutely must be taken seriously and treated as such so that we don't have any sanctions to get out of the Euro-integative way... Kosovo must act in line with recommendations coming from our allies and friends for us to come out victorious from the dialogue process. Warnings coming to Kosovo should be seriously addressed and should not behave presumptuously in relation to the demands and needs that partners have... Despite being far from our minds, even a threat should be taken seriously if I can call it in relation to Kosovo's walk in this process”, Deliu points out.

With concern, the German threat to Kosovo is seen by KDI by Violet Hajoli.

She says Germany as the initiator of the Berlin Process wants at the upcoming summit in October to have concrete steps for the common regional market, so it does not want trade blockades among Western Balkan countries.

However, it views returning to the Open Balkans table as impossible as the initiative for regional co-operation.

The Berlin process does not accept the trade blockade, as it opposes the spirit of the Berlin process and the CEFTA agreement. In many articles it is not allowed to have blockades in the products of a region, there should be obstacles to the movement of goods in each other's products... The Berlin process is the only official initiative accepted by Germany and the countries in the region that are part of it. The Open Balkans have been rejected by some states in the region, Kosovo has been one of them who has not accepted this initiative. It so far if it has begun to develop parallel to the Berlin Process has not found support among international actors. We cannot know the modes to be used, but one thing is clear that there must be a greater commitment of the Western Balkan countries to implement the pledges they have taken under the Berlin Process”, Hajoli claims.

On the other hand, LV deputy Arberes Kryeziu says Sarraz or anyone else could threaten Kosovo to pull out of regional initiatives, but that is difficult to do.

Kryeziu, who is also chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for Foreign Affairs, says that if a new regional mechanism is developed without Kosovo, then this will not be created to bring states closer to the EU but to increase the division within the states of the Western Balkans.

“Sarrazin can give such statements or individual EU acts can say such a thing, but that is not easy to do. The Berlin process was primarily designed to help Western Balkan states navigate and walk to become part of the European Union. This is true of states that have already shown democracy inside and have marked progress in reforms in their country and can simply remove from a process a state that is more democratic in the region... If a completely new plan is thought to be created, then this will not be created to bring states closer to the EU, but would be created to add more divisions within Western Balkan states”, it underlines.

On the eve of the Berlin Process summit, which will be held on 14 October, Germany is insisting that Kosovo remove security measures against Serbian goods, imposed following the 24 September Serbian terrorist attack on Banjsk.

According to them, after leaving these measures, regional organisation CEFTA would be unblocked, where Kosovo's representation by UNMIK would also be removed.

German Minister Europe and Klime Anna Luhrmann expressed the same stance this week during his stay in Kosovo.