Although after Wednesday night’s meeting of EU leaders and those of the Western Balkans, it was stated that all countries in the region agreed on the declaration adopted at the summit, Serbia has reportedly expressed reservations about the part related to the obligations for the implementation of the Agreement for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia (Ohrid Agreement).
EU sources have confirmed that Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, at the summit, “expressed the national stance”, but reiterated that “Serbia supported the declaration”.
In the document with Serbia’s position, seen by Radio Free Europe, it is stated that it “generally, with reservations, aligns with the declaration of the EU-Western Balkans Summit as a political and non-legally binding document”.
Furthermore, it is made clear that this concerns the part of the obligations for the implementation of the Agreement with Kosovo.
“The Agreement on the path to the normalization of relations and the Implementation Annex, as referred to in this declaration, is considered acceptable only in the context that does not include the de facto or de jure recognition of Kosovo,” the document states.
“The Republic of Serbia emphasizes that this adjustment does not include the acceptance of Kosovo’s membership in the UN, the UN system of organizations and agencies, nor the so-called territorial integrity of Kosovo,” it further states, adding that this declaration is considered legally non-binding and does not have the weight of an international agreement under international law.
Furthermore, Serbia states that “Kosovo is an integral part of the Republic of Serbia under international administration in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244”.
This stance of Serbia also raises doubts about its acceptance of the obligations arising from the Agreement on the path to the normalization of relations and its Implementation Annex since it includes non-opposition to Kosovo’s membership in international organizations and respect for territorial integrity.
In the declaration adopted on Wednesday night in Brussels by EU and Western Balkan leaders, Kosovo and Serbia are called upon to implement this agreement without preconditions and in its entirety.
“We invite both parties to implement in full the Agreement on the path to the normalization of relations and its Implementation Annex, as well as all past agreements, without any new delay and without preconditions,” it further states in the section dedicated to relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
On February 27, Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement on the normalization of relations.
Consent for the Implementation Annex was increased in Ohrid, North Macedonia, on March 18.
