Kosovo's new government challenges on international plan

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani pledged on Friday that the country would commit itself with allies that the process of talks between Pristina and Belgrade be completed with mutual recognition and protection of Kosovo's sovereignty, constitutionality and land integrity.

She made those comments after the first meeting with the European Union's Special Envoy for Kosovo talks, Peter Sorensen, in which, reportedly, discussed recent developments in Kosovo and expectations from the Brussels dialogue.

The meeting was held during the security conference in Munich, Germany, under which Mr Sorensen also met separately with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“To move ahead with the Ohrid Agreement needs its signature, the withdrawal of former Prime Minister Brnabiq's letter, and the handover of chief terrorist Milan Radojciq”, says in a statement by Prime Minister Kurti's office.

These meetings occur at an important time, after the last elections in Kosovo, whose results are expected to affect the pace of dialogue as well.

Five days after Sunday's elections, the Central Commission is continuing the process of counting votes amid criticism for delays and problems that surface on the website of this institution during the publication of the political parties' results.

As the vote count continues, observers say the election outcome has left much open for the formation of the country's new government. If the Vetevendosje movement, which has the largest number of votes, does not secure coalitions with any of the opposition parties, it would be difficult to form the government with minority deputies.

We actually have a winner in the sense of Vetevendosje movement as the first but also opposition parties together are more numerous, so we have two relative winners. What I think would be best to happen is a stable government which would be able to face challenges that are especially ahead in the international context”, analyst Agon Maliqi said in a conversation with the Voice of America.

Mr. Maliqi stresses that the new government must follow another route from the last four years to the international plain.

“Pic first signaling a kind of desire and the will to work quickly on normalising relations with Serbia, which does not talk about war and does not take measures seen as destabilising on NATO's part because the kind of American administration that is now in power, but also the fact that Kosovo is not well with its allies in Europe, does not give Kosovo the luxury to become a problemable party. Kosovo needs a government that takes the initiative immediately to repair with the US”, he said.

Mr. Maliqi estimates that Kosovo is currently a ignored factor that risks taking international dynamics with them without hearing its voice.

Possible scenarios of forming the new government, which include Vetevendosje movement with non-Serb minorities or united opposition parties, do not provide adequate decision-making power in the face of these dynamics, he says.

The “is clear that in neither of these scenarios is secured two-thirds and the continuation of the government after the president's mandate is expired. So for big topics it would be good to create a strong government. But outside that if there is no way to create such a government and the parties are so far away about a common vision about it then, however, the worst scenario would be to repeat the elections. In this case, even a government that creates and lasts as long as it lasts would be better than entering a situation where there is no address to responsibility”, he says.

The stalled process of talks on normalising relations between Pristina and Belgrade is expected to be one of the new government's main challenges, along with efforts to restore relations with Western powers, which have criticised Prime Minister Kurti's government for its actions in the Serb-run north of Kosovo.

The United States and the European Union have urged both sides to implement the agreement reached two years ago, under which Kosovo must establish an Association of Serb majority municipalities, while Belgrade recognises Kosovo's independence. / VOA/