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Analysis/ "Accept it or leave it", Kosovo and Serbia are in front of a definite offer

2023-10-24 22:06:07Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Analysis/ "Accept it or leave it", Kosovo and Serbia are in front of a
Vucic and Kurti

The requests and proposals that the 5 Western emissaries have put forward to Kosovo and Serbia are intended for both countries, experts of political developments in Pristina and Belgrade estimate. There is little information about their content, but it is said that they oblige the parties to take some steps that would lead to the normalization of relations between them. The leaders of Kosovo and Serbia met for the last time on September 14. Ten days later, the attack happened in Banjska, where armed groups attacked the Kosovo police, killing a sergeant. Kosovo blamed Serbia for the attack, which Serbia said was carried out by a "group of desperate local Serbs".

In an effort to bring the parties back to the negotiating table, diplomats from the European Union, the United States, France, Germany and Italy stayed on October 21 in Pristina and Belgrade, where they presented their demands.

The Government of Kosovo did not answer Radio Free Europe's questions about what they are and how Kosovo will respond to them. According to analysts Agon Maliqi and Dushan Janjiq, they are related to a road map that must be followed for the implementation of the Agreement towards the normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations, reached in February in Brussels.

European diplomatic sources told Radio Free Europe that the requirements for Kosovo are related to the acceptance of a draft for the establishment of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, while those for Serbia are the unconditional respect of the obligations arising from the Normalization Agreement.

The expert on political developments in Kosovo, Agon Maliqi, says that from what has been understood so far, the plan of the five Western emissaries includes the issue of forming the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, as well as the steps to implement the Agreement towards the normalization of relations Kosovo-Serbia.

"Probably [Western emissaries] have come with an ultimatum on the sequence and steps on how to go about implementing [the agreement]. The proposal is likely not open to comments from the parties, but is more like a document or a sequence of 'take it or leave it' form. This seems clear, because the deadlines for the beginning of the implementation of the agreement are running out", says Maliqi for Radio Free Europe.

According to him, the fact that there are expectations that the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia will meet as soon as possible, shows that the QUINT countries - USA, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy - require quick answers and quick steps from both sides. Maliqi says that the demands of the international community certainly do not ignore the September 24 attack in Banjska.

"Regarding the developments in the north, there should be and I believe there will be [requests from Western emissaries], either in the form of conditions for Serbia on its integration path, or even some concrete proposal of what is expected from Serbia in the sense of taking measures against the [armed] group. I believe this is very necessary to create a kind of spirit of preventing any future attempts at destabilization", says Maliqi.

The acceptance of the Western emissaries' requests, according to him, will depend on the consequences that these emissaries will communicate to the parties, in case they do not accept them.

Janjiq: Security in the north, primary demand

Dushan Janjiq, from the Forum for Ethnic Relations in Belgrade, estimates that the EU and the Western emissaries, in essence, are trying to maintain some kind of dynamic regarding political issues within the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

But, he adds, before any political issue, they seek to define the security situation in the north of Kosovo. Janjiq estimates that the attack in Banjska is the first issue that is addressed in the requests of the Western emissaries. This situation, according to him, represents a serious problem for the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić.

"They don't give [Vucic] space to move out of this security issue, until the trial [against the armed group] begins and until the issue of returning [Northern Serbs] to institutions is resolved. This is new because, for the first time, they are on the verge of talks on the security package, which, by definition, does not work in the format where [the EU's dialogue envoy Miroslav] Lajcak and [chief of EU foreign policy, Josep] Borrell are the main ones. This will be supervised by the QUINT group", says Janjiq for Radio Free Europe.

According to him, Vučić's statements that Western countries have their own policies that are "completely opposite" to Serbia's position are for "internal consumption". Janjic says that Vucic has already agreed with the Annex on the implementation of the Agreement towards the normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations, which was agreed upon in Ohrid.

"He [Vučić] accepted that agreement in February, where the status [of Kosovo] is resolved, that is, the acceptance of the existence of the Republic of Kosovo and others. Thus, an effort is being made to preserve that political level [of dialogue], but that, in essence, insists on security. EULEX [EU Mission for the rule of law] will receive greater supervision for it," says Janjiq.

He emphasizes that, without the stabilization of the security situation in the north, there can be no dialogue on the implementation on the ground of the obligations arising from the Agreement towards the normalization of relations.

What was said in Pristina and Belgrade about the demands of the international emissaries?

In a communique issued by the Government of Kosovo, it was said that "all five emissaries offered their new plan for moving forward, for which the Prime Minister expressed his thanks and appreciation". No details were given about the plan. But, according to the communiqué, Kurti said that the main priority and urgent issue for Kosovo is the security of the state and citizens, borders and territory.

In Belgrade, Vučić said that the meeting was "difficult", but that he could not give more details. He said that the "only goal" of the West is the recognition of Kosovo's independence from Serbia and that he expects the Prishtina-Belgrade dialogue to continue towards the end of this week.

Kurti and Vucic are expected to be in Brussels this Thursday, when a European Council summit is held. According to EU sources, their deadline to declare on the demands of the emissaries, "is not long" - "until Thursday at the latest".

If there will be progress from them, then the conclusions of the EU summit are expected to include an order for Kosovo and Serbia and for the dialogue process, EU sources say. The US also repeated calls for Kosovo and Serbia to return to dialogue for the normalization of relations.

At a meeting of the UN Security Council, which was held on Monday, the representative of the United States, Robert Wood, said that "it is important that the parties make progress on all the agreements reached in the dialogue". He also said that the people involved in the attack in Banjska should be held accountable. / Bekim Bislimi, REL


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