The European Union has dismissed the allegations made by Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti against the EU’s envoy for the dialogue, Miroslav Lajčák, as unsubstantiated claims. EU spokesperson Peter Stano emphasized that Lajčák enjoys the support of all EU member states.
On September 18, Kurti asserted in Pristina that during the recent Kosovo-Serbia dialogue held in Brussels on September 14, Lajčák had taken a stance against Kosovo.
The Prime Minister suggested that there seemed to be coordination between Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Lajčák to create an “alternative scenario where half of the agreement is implemented”.
Kurti argued that Lajčák had “twisted” the dialogue process, contending that he hadn’t focused on the full and unconditional implementation of the Agreement on Normalization but had allowed “the cart to be put before the horses, the Association of Municipalities first, and then we’ll see”.
The Agreement referred to by Kurti was reached earlier this year and doesn’t include the mutual recognition sought by Kosovo. Instead, it requires Kosovo and Serbia to accept each other’s documents and symbols, including passports, diplomats, and license plates. Both parties had committed to implementing previous agreements reached during the dialogue process.
When asked by reporters how the dialogue could proceed in this format after Kurti openly expressed distrust in the mediator of the process, whom he didn’t consider neutral and impartial, Stano responded, “Regarding Kurti’s statements, we refrain from commenting, especially when they contain baseless accusations. I believe that EU member states have repeatedly expressed their full support for the EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajčák, as well as for the High Representative [Josep Borrell]. They fully endorse their efforts to assist Kosovo and Serbia in reaching the phase of normalizing their relations”.
According to Stano, the most recent support for the dialogue facilitators, Borrell and Lajčák, came through a communication released on behalf of the 27 EU member states on September 19.
“This means it’s a statement endorsed by the Foreign Ministers of the 27 member states. And this statement explicitly underscores the EU’s expectations for Kosovo and Serbia and how to proceed in the dialogue,” Stano emphasized, stating that the statement “explicitly calls on Kosovo and Serbia to move forward with implementing their obligations without further delays”.
In this statement, issued after Borrell met with European foreign ministers in New York, the EU also urged the swift establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities without any further delay.
Kosovo and Serbia had agreed on the Association back in 2013, but Pristina has not implemented it, expressing concerns that it may undermine the functionality of the state.
Following the September 14 meeting, the EU stated that Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti wasn’t prepared to advance, in contrast to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who “accepted their proposal” for implementing the Basic Agreement on normalizing Kosovo-Serbia relations.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said that Kurti had insisted on Serbia first offering de facto recognition of Kosovo.
In Brussels, Kurti argued that the “conditionality of Serbia” for the formation of the Association “has turned into the position of EU envoys”.
According to Vučić, Kurti simply “avoids the formation of the Association… that’s the crux of the matter”.
