Within this month, European and American mediators are expected to arrive in Kosovo and Serbia, for a new round of negotiations regarding the Association of Serb Municipalities, as well as a comprehensive implementation of the Agreement between both countries. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti gave the news, while saying he has been guaranteed in Brussel that the European plan will be fully implemented.
“In the meeting, we confirmed that the agreement is functional, that the text of the agreement remains unchangeable and unnegotiable and must be implemented without delays. This guarantee of the European mediators is surely necessary for a solid dialogue process,” Kurti told journalists.
He also spoke about the dismissal of the Management Team on the draft statute of the Association.
“They finished their mission and function, so we have no reasons to hear from them. The Team said everything they had to say on the May 2nd meeting in Brussel. I believe it is clear to everybody that the Team’s job is over, so the dismissal is the most logical thing,” said Kurti.
This act sparked a lot of debates. Petar Petković, the Director of the Office for Kosovo reminded that the Team’s mandate lasts until the end of the creation process of the Association. The Serbian official said that Kurti has “no legal arguments to unilaterally dismiss that body”.
“The fact that he doesn’t like the draft statute of the Association is a personal problem of his. The mandate of the Managing Team is active and valid and it was confirmed even by EU representatives,” said Petković.
According to him, even the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell emphasized that the EU will continue to invite the Managing Team in meetings, if need be.
