According to the paper’s sources text of the draft negotiation platform for Chapter 35, which was handed over on Wednesday in Brussels to the head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric, has 49 counts, from which most are not status neutral, instead they directly stipulate recognition of Kosovo’s independence.
Paper’s sources say that the draft practically contains all traps that Belgrade tried to avoid, with the hard work, during the Brussels dialogue. Particularly unfavorably for Serbia is part that refers to energy because it provides that it is handed over to Pristina. Indirect recognition of Kosovo is ‘offered’ with range of solutions and should be ‘crowned’ by signing of mutually binding agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. Some EU member states insist that this agreement is signed between two countries or that that it already defines as the final goal recognition of Kosovo and its membership in the UN.
Paper’s source further said that disputed paper is drafted in the cabinet of the EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, and will be later forwarded for harmonization, through the Council of the EU, to all member states. Before they all take their stand or present objections and proposals, they could consult with Serbia, what leaves some space for Belgrade to reach better text. Final text has to be approved by all member states. For the time being it is not known whether there will be any benchmarks for the opening of the Chapter 35, and which ones exactly, however, there are assumptions that it could be about implementation of some of the reached agreements with Pristina, or even reaching a new one.
