At the request of opposition parties, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti is scheduled to provide a report to the Kosovo Assembly on November 3 regarding the ongoing dialogue with Serbia, particularly concerning the proposed draft statute for the establishment of an Association of Serb-majority municipalities.
Following the meeting of the Kosovo Assembly presidency, the leaders of the Parliamentary Groups from opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the Democratic League of Kosovo, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, emphasized that Prime Minister Kurti holds a legal obligation to present his report based on the discussions that took place in Brussels on October 26 with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and representatives from the European Union.
After separate meetings between Kurti and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, with European leaders, the Kosovar Prime Minister expressed his willingness to embrace the proposed Association and sign agreements for normalizing relations, a move that was met with resistance from the Serbian leader.
Abelard Tahiri, the leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, underscored that during the report, Prime Minister Kurti should provide specific details about the agreements reached and offer insights into the nature of this Association as outlined in the European proposal.
“It is crucial for citizens and us, as their representatives, to understand what Kosovo’s Government has agreed upon in this case, through the Prime Minister, including the specific points and the structure of this proposed Association,” Tahiri stated.
Kurti maintains that the draft proposal for the Association complies with Kosovo’s Constitution. Notably, this document has not been made available to the public at the request of international mediators.
Arben Gashi, the head of the Democratic League of Kosovo’s Parliamentary Group, noted that requests for document non-disclosure have occurred in the past. However, he anticipates that Prime Minister Kurti will bring the document related to the Association, which he has accepted, when reporting to the Kosovo Assembly.
“Similar requests have been made in the past by mediators. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister of Kosovo previously referred to the withholding of documents by negotiators and interlocutors as treacherous and indicative of an intent to hide acts of treachery. Consequently, we are unaware of the contents of these documents. For us, it is essential to have access to these documents as the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo,” Gashi stated.
The proposal, characterized by the EU as a European model for the status of the Association, was presented to Kosovo and Serbia during a visit by representatives of the EU, the United States, France, Germany, and Italy on October 21.
The head of the Parliamentary Group for the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo emphasized that Prime Minister Kurti’s report on this matter “is essential not only for ensuring transparency but also to provide accountability to the Kosovo Assembly”.
While opposition party representatives indicated they have not had access to the document presented by international envoys, the head of the Parliamentary Group for the Self-Determination Movement, currently in power, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, confirmed that she is familiar with the content of the draft.
“As a parliamentary group, we are informed about the content of the initial draft, particularly the key points that align with Kosovo’s Constitution. However, this document is not the final version. In essence, it remains a work in progress. It is important to note that no agreement has been officially signed in Brussels yet,” Kusari-Lila explained.
In 2013 and later in 2015, Kosovo and Serbia forged an agreement concerning the establishment of the Association.
However, in 2015, Kosovo’s Constitutional Court determined that this agreement did not entirely align with the Constitution.
Up to this point, Kosovo has resisted the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, citing concerns that it could disrupt the state’s functionality. On the other hand, Serbia is persistent in pushing for its formation.
Miroslav Lajčák, the EU’s representative for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, has asserted that the draft statute for the Association respects the parties’ “red lines”. He emphasized that this is just one component and that Serbia has not fulfilled certain aspects of the Agreement on the Normalization of Relations.
Earlier in the year, Kosovo and Serbia had already reached an agreement with 11 points, encompassing provisions for self-governance for Kosovo’s Serbian community and mutual recognition of state symbols. This agreement also stipulates that Pristina and Belgrade should implement all prior dialogue agreements.
A day after meetings in Brussels, France, Germany, and Italy urged Serbia to de facto recognize Kosovo, and requested that Kosovo establish the Association.
