Chief negotiators from Kosovo and Serbia are expected to meet next week under the mediation of the European Union, as reported by unofficial sources in Brussels.<\/p>\n
According to insiders, November 16 is the potential date for the meeting between Kosovo\u2019s chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi and Serbia\u2019s chief negotiator Petar Petkovi\u0107.<\/p>\n
The possibility of a chief negotiator-level meeting during this week had previously been announced by Serbia\u2019s chief negotiator Petar Petkovi\u0107. However, Kosovo had purportedly declined this meeting.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, Petkovi\u0107\u2019s claim was contradicted by the European Union\u2019s Special Envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Laj\u010d\u00e1k.<\/p>\n
In a written response to Radio Free Europe, Laj\u010d\u00e1k\u2019s office clarified that all meetings within the dialogue framework are arranged on dates mutually convenient for both parties, and announcements about meetings are made only after both sides confirm their participation.<\/p>\n
Laj\u010d\u00e1k confirmed to RFE that there was an initial idea for the chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia to meet on November 7.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Kosovo side presented a valid and significant request to postpone the meeting, which was accepted by the EU facilitator. It is the responsibility of the EU facilitator to determine which requests and reasons provided by the parties regarding the organization of meetings are valid and significant,\u201d the response stated.<\/p>\n
Laj\u010d\u00e1k confirmed that there is already an agreement between the parties for the organization of the next meeting, although no specific dates were mentioned in the response. Nevertheless, it is anticipated that this meeting will address the next steps in the normalization process and the parties\u2019 obligations in the dialogue.<\/p>\n
The news of the new round of talks at the chief negotiator level comes following separate meetings on October 26 in Brussels between the dialogue facilitators, Kosovo\u2019s Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia\u2019s President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107, and leaders from the EU, France, Germany, and Italy.<\/p>\n
The leaders of France, Germany, and Italy called on Kosovo to establish the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities and for Serbia to recognize Kosovo\u2019s de facto independence.<\/p>\n
Kurti stated that he had accepted a draft statute proposal for the Association, which the EU has described as a modern European model.<\/p>\n
However, the draft statute has not been made public, but Prime Minister Kurti stated that it has been drafted carefully in accordance with Kosovo\u2019s Constitution. He mentioned that the draft is expected to be submitted for review to the Constitutional Court of Kosovo.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my political assessment, the draft interrupts the legacy of non-recognition of the Republic of Kosovo, as established in the 2013 and 2015 agreements. Therefore, in my political judgment, the draft provides clarity regarding the recognition of the Republic of Kosovo as an independent state in which Serbs will live in accordance with the multi-ethnic aspirations of the Constitution and without any other harmful undermining intentions for the Republic\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity,\u201d Kurti stated during a report on the dialogue before the Kosovo Assembly on November 3.<\/p>\n
Laj\u010d\u00e1k previously noted that the proposal is a modern European approach to resolving the sensitive issue of minority protection in line with the best European standards, \u201cand it does not cross the red lines presented by the parties\u201d.<\/p>\n
He added that the implementation of not only the Association, Kosovo\u2019s obligation, but also all previous dialogue agreements by Serbia is required.<\/p>\n
On February 27, Kurti and Vu\u010di\u0107 reached the Agreement on Normalization. On March 18, the parties agreed on the Implementation Annex. However, the agreement was not signed by the parties, as the Serbian President refused, arguing that \u201cSerbia is internationally recognized, while Kosovo is not\u201d.<\/p>\n
Among other things, this agreement calls for a level of self-governance for the Serb community in Kosovo and mutual recognition of state symbols. It also requires Pristina and Belgrade to implement all previous dialogue agreements.<\/p>\n
Kosovo and Serbia reached agreements on the Association in 2013 and later in 2015 on its principles.<\/p>\n
In 2015, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo found that the agreement was not fully in line with the Constitution.<\/p>\n
Kosovo has so far declined to establish the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, citing concerns that it may undermine the state\u2019s functionality. In contrast, Serbia insists on its establishment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chief negotiators from Kosovo and Serbia are expected to meet next week under the mediation of the European Union, as reported by unofficial sources in Brussels. According to insiders, November 16 is the potential date for the meeting between Kosovo\u2019s chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi and Serbia\u2019s chief negotiator Petar Petkovi\u0107. The possibility of a chief […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":21448,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[250],"tags":[1271,945,308,300,1929,243,151,428,715,301],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n