Blerim Shala, the Coordinator of the Pristina team for the Brussels negotiations with Belgrade and independent MP in the Kosovo Assembly said in an interview for Danas that negotiations were very difficult process and that there were a lot of problems with the inherited mentality and the transitions in both countries.
You are negotiator with the continuity of Rambouillet to Brussels. Is there a common thread for all previous negotiations?
– The common thread is the interest of the West to solve the problem of Kosovo. From our side there was always a willingness to first reach the peace, then the status and normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Unfortunately, on the Serbian side, until 2012, there was no will to resolve it.
The government of Mirko Cvetkovic has started Brussels negotiations at the technical level, whether the government was frivolous?
– I think so. Seriously began only after the 2012th. We knew from the beginning that between Kosovo and Serbia there was no technique – all the time, it is about very serious political negotiations. From the beginning its frame is known – the status of Kosovo is a done deal, it’s a work on the normalization of relations, which may at first resemble the relationship between the two German states – without formal recognition, and the last part of the story is, not only by us, that the two countries recognize each other. Now we are in the process of mutual recognition of reality, which eventually should get a formal framework – the first is internationally binding agreement, which is the German idea, and the other legal framework is mutual recognition as a state.
Is it realistic the German deadline for the signing of the agreement in 2016, if we bear in mind the story of early elections in Pristina and Belgrade?
– The question of reality in politics has always been linked with the political will and timing. We have the timing, pace and possibility. Both governments have an absolute majority in their parliaments. I do not believe that the new elections will bring anything new. The balance of power of political parties is very clear. I think that elections are unnecessary in Kosovo, and probably in Serbia. If there is no election, we have a big chance to finish the work next year, which is expected of us. Belgrade can even reverse its political views, but cannot the reality in Kosovo, that is unstoppable. We conduct these talks in order to somehow formally round up the reality. We now have an additional narration between Prime ministers Vucic and Edi Rama in Vienna about the historic reconciliation between Albanians and Serbs, which cannot go anywhere else but via Kosovo, because problems were there.
What will premiere Vucic and Mustafa talk on 13 October in Brussels?
– If there is a meeting on 13 October, then will be consider where we are with the implementation of the last four agreements, but also so far agreed. We have reached the moment when we need to talk about how to enter the next phase, what it means and how we can do what we call internationally binding treaty or international agreement.
Is Pristina ready to open the themes, that now Belgrade seeks: property in general, status and assets of the SPC, direct air line, Serb participation in Kosovo institutions?
– The participation of Serbs in the institutions is a constitutional category. Kosovo needs to have at least 10 per cent of Serbs in all the institutions. Here there is nothing to talk about. The status of SPC is resolved by the Ahtisaari package. The role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo is absolutely clear, the rights and privileges. For us it is a completed story. Additional guarantees, sought by the SPC, could become a part of this international binding agreement, although the status of the SPC is the constitutional category and cannot be solved by law. As regards to its assets, this issue is associated in Kosovo with denationalization. We do not have a law on denationalization, when we have the law, claims will have not only institutions but also citizens. For Kosovo the question of common property is a done deal and by Ahtisaari and our Constitution. But we are ready to talk about financial claims – who owe what to whom.
Whether will enter indirectly through the agreement on the ZSO and education and health into Kosovo system?
– They will enter directly, but will remain in force some privileges over Ahtisaari. For instance, the possibility for Serbia to pay second salary in education and health care, unlike the judiciary, police and politics where you cannot be working for both Kosovo and Serbia. It is another story whether Serbia will have money for it.
Changes in the management team for the ZSO
Whether the statute of ZSO will be completed by November 25?
– Will not, the statute should be finished by spring. The procedure is clear – our government should adopt a regulation on association/community, which goes to the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, as part of the agreement in Brussels. The Constitutional Court will bring the decision, for 16 days the longest, for which we hope it will be positive. If so, we move to the writing of the statute, which will last about four months, during which we will meet at least four times in Brussels. Based on agreed general principles, the Management Team should make the statute. In the Management team until now were only Serbs from the north, and we are talking about 10 municipalities, six of which are in the south. We will insist that and the Serbs from the South of Kosovo take part in the Management Team, because it is a unique community/association. We and the OSCE will be ready to help the drafting of the document, which will eventually be checked at the highest level in Brussels.
