What did Sorensen say during his stay in Kosovo yesterday?

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said she has presented the European Union's envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Peter Sorensen, her remarks to the draft Association of Serb majority municipalities, presented by the bloc.

The presidency of Kosovo, through an announcement, said Osmani has told Soren that these remarks “should be seriously addressed in order to prevent the risk of Kosovo state functionality”.

In October 2023, The EU handed over to Kosovo and Serbia a draft status, which it named modern, to form Association. The document was also supported by the United States.

At that world, Osman had said that this document should submit to the assessment of the Constitutional Court.

Since then, the EU and the US have asked Kosovo to submit this draft to the Constitutional Court, but this has not yet happened.

Kosovo and Serbia have reached agreement on establishing association and two years later on the principles of Association. The Kosovo Constitutional Court found that the agreement on principles was not in full accordance with the Constitution, demanding that 23 of its provisions be harmonised.

So far, Kosovo has refused to establish association, while Serbia insists that the agreements on this issue be implemented.

According to the announcement, President Osmani said Kosovo is committed to the dialogue process with Serbia, focusing on the importance of a fully balanced implementation of the agreements reached”.

The presidency said Osmani has called for the removal of EU punitive measures that were imposed in June 2023 due to tensions in northern Kosovo ʹ arguing that they are also undermining the dialogue process “, making it unbalannized”.

Kosovo has already witnessed as a constructive side in the dialogue, committed to peace, democracy and rule of law, so keeping the EU's unfair measures against our country is hurting not only our citizens, but also the necessary balloons in dialogue”, Osmani said.

Sorensen: Compromises in dialogue define sides

During his stay in Pristina, Sorensen first with Osman and later with Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

After meeting with Kurti, the European mediator told reporters that his priority will be to provide meetings between Kosovo representatives and Serbia. According to him, there are the very parties who will then decide on potential compromises.

“Dialolog is to make sure there are appointments. Whether this compromise means or not, it is up to the parties to define”, Sorensen said, during the press statement, after meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurtin.

The last meeting in Brussels mediated by the European Union, between Kosovo and Serbia, was held on 17 December last year.

Sorensen is visiting Kosovo for the first time since he took office in early February to meet with senior officials in the country.

He called the meeting Kurt “a good start”.

“was a presentation meeting, we talked about how the process can continue. It's a good start”, Sorensen said.

“Once I've had these conversations [with representatives of Kosovo and Serbia], I can sit down and appreciate where we are. But it is very clear that the process of dialogue also carries a large number of important developments and we have to deal with them”, Sorensen added.

The European bloc imposed punitive measures against Kosovo in 2023, following increasing tensions in the country's north. The EU has estimated that the Government of Kosovo has not done enough for expansion.

Even Prime Minister Kurti, like President Osmani, during the meeting with Sorensen, have called for the European bloc to lift restrictive measures, which it described as unfair”.

“Discused for the EU-mediated dialogue process and for the road forward. The prime minister stressed the importance of full and unconditional implementation of the Ohrid Basic Agreement and Annex”, the announcement issued by Kurti's office said.

Kosovo's chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, was also present at the meeting in Government.

At a meeting with the European emissary, Bislimi said he appreciates the EU's position that Serbia's behaviour at the Council of Europe meeting on March 5th when Kosovo was removed from the agenda to gain special guest state status é constitutes a violation of the Ohrid Agreement.

This agreement says Belgrade should not prevent Kosovo's membership in any international organisation.

The European Union (BE) has said on Friday that Serbia, with its behaviour to the Council of Europe, is violating the 2023 Ohrid Agreement, in which, among other things, Belgrade is urged not to prevent Kosovo's membership in any international organisation.

While in Kosovo on 17 March, Sorensen also held meetings with representatives of opposition parties.