Kurti ready to go to Brussels, Vucic yet to agree

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he is ready and interested to go to Brussels to discuss the ongoing situation in the north of Kosovo and the state of relations with Serbia, while President Aleksander Vucic has not demonstrated such enthusiasm.

The EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell invited both leaders to return to dialogue last week amid spiralling tensions and the continued breakdown of dialogue between the two sides. The last week has seen the arrest of three Kosovo police officers from within Kosovo by Serbian forces, as well as the detonation of shock bombs in several parts of the Serb majority north.

Following Borrell’s invitation, Kurti said he would respond early this week and on Tuesday, he gave his answer.

“I am ready and interested to go to the next meeting in Brussels, to present these data in detail, and to make them understand that the reduction of tensions means the immediate and unconditional release of the three policemen and the punishment of Serbia’s aggression in Kosovo, while normalisation means the immediate implementation of the Basic Agreement,” he told REL.

The EU and its transatlantic partners have requested three immediate measures to be taken by Kosovo to calm the situation. These include withdrawing recently elected Albanian mayors from municipal facilities, holding new elections and returning to dialogue to normalise relations between the two countries.

However, not everyone in Kosovo is convinced the EU has the ability to facilitate dialogue. Former foreign minister Meliza Haradinaj told EURACTIV that the EU cannot properly define normalisation, which includes recognition of Kosovo as an independent state, as five member states do not recognise it.

“Because of five non-recognizing member states, EU cannot define what it means by normalisation, therefore – lacks clarity, principles, and goals imperative in dialogue mediation. The EU has never took the effort to help Kosovo normalise its relations with 5 EU nonrecognisers,” she told EURACTIV.

Haradinaj added that if Kosovo cannot bring five member states on board with Kosovo, “how can it possibly do it with Kosovo and Serbia?”

She said it is her firm belief that the US should lead in dialogue as it has a regional stakeholder approach and is a main actor.

However, she added that Kosovo must further and deepen its dialogue with the US and the EU to avoid mutual surprises and discontent.

Meanwhile, US envoy for the region Gabriel Escobar said the situation has the potential to further errupt, bringing instability to the whole region.

“I am very concerned. This has the potential to become a regional confrontation. Therefore we are very much supporting the European effort. The aspirations of the countries are to become part of Europe. As the main supporter of Kosovo, we want to see it part of NATO, the EU.”

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden extended the state of emergency regarding the threat caused by the Western Balkans to national security and foreign policy.

The notice reads, “The actions of persons threatening the peace and international stabilisation efforts in the Western Balkans, including acts of extremist violence and obstructionist activity, and the situation in the Western Balkans, which stymies progress toward effective and democratic governance and full integration into transatlantic institutions, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. ”

(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)