The European Union’s special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajčák, has completed his two-day visit to Kosovo, which included meetings with representatives of opposition parties and accredited ambassadors in Kosovo. The primary topic of discussion was the draft statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, presented to both Pristina and Belgrade at the end of October.

During his visit, Lajčák notably did not meet with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

While members of the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Democratic League of Kosovo expressed a desire for more information about the draft statute and voiced concerns about a lack of transparency, the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo claimed that the opposition had been presented with the draft statute and had thoroughly reviewed its content.

Memli Krasniqi, the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, indicated that during the meeting, Lajčák reiterated that the draft statute for the Association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo adhered to the country’s Constitution. However, Krasniqi also mentioned, “Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to see its contents”.

During his two-day visit to Kosovo, Lajčák met with Krasniqi, the deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Lufti Haziri, and Ramush Haradinaj of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, the two largest opposition parties in the country.

Following their meeting, Krasniqi emphasized the need to thoroughly examine the draft statute’s details to ensure that the establishment of the Association would not alter Kosovo’s unitary character or deviate from the ideals of the country’s founders.

In contrast to other opposition leaders, Ramush Haradinaj of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo confirmed that he had read the draft statute in its entirety and noted that it outlined the opportunities provided to Serb-majority municipalities while adhering to Kosovo’s Constitution and laws.

Krasniqi and Haziri also voiced their request to Lajčák for the European Union to lift sanctions imposed on Kosovo.

These sanctions were imposed in June, citing Kosovo’s failure to comply with demands to ease the situation in the north, particularly in response to tensions that had escalated in May after the placement of Albanian leaders in four Serb-majority municipalities following the April elections, which were boycotted by the local Serbian population.

Lajčák, after meeting with opposition leaders in Pristina, described the day as “very productive” with constructive discussions regarding recent developments in the EU-facilitated dialogue and the path forward.

Had a very productive day in Kosovo today with good exchanges on latest developments in the EU-facilitated Dialogue and the way ahead. Grateful to all my interlocutors for their active role and support. pic.twitter.com/Jc0KWPmbTW

— Miroslav Lajčák (@MiroslavLajcak) November 7, 2023

Furthermore, Lajčák met with Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, with whom he publicly stated that they had reached an agreement on the next steps and the full and timely implementation of the agreement for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Bislimi emphasized Kosovo’s commitment to full normalization and mutual recognition in its relations with Serbia.

Lajčák’s visit to Pristina followed meetings held in Brussels on October 26, where separate discussions took place between Prime Minister Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, with the participation of key leaders from Germany, France, Italy, and other EU officials.

Prior to these high-level talks, a group of Western envoys, led by Lajčák, visited Pristina and Belgrade on October 21, presenting both Kosovo and Serbia with a draft statute for the Association. However, the specific contents of this statute have not been publicly disclosed as of yet.

Prime Minister Kurti expressed his readiness to accept and sign the draft statute for the establishment of the Association. In contrast, Serbian President Vučić has been steadfast in his stance that he will not accept any terms that imply a de facto recognition of Kosovo.

Both Kosovo and Serbia are aware that implementing these agreements is crucial for their path to EU integration.

The Association agreement was initially reached in 2013, with further progress made in 2015 on its founding principles.

In 2015, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo found that the agreement was not fully aligned with the country’s Constitution.

Consequently, Pristina has refused to implement the agreement, citing this constitutional conflict. On the other hand, Belgrade insists on the Association being formed in accordance with the original Brussels agreement, without making adjustments to harmonize it with Kosovo’s Constitution, as suggested by the Constitutional Court.

Kosovo and Serbia have been engaged in the EU-mediated dialogue for normalizing their relations since 2011, leading to the signing of numerous agreements.

However, not all of these agreements have been fully implemented to date.