The paper’s Brussels-based correspondent, Augustin Palokaj comments on the recently signed Stabilization Association Agreement between the EU and Kosovo. According to him, the EU has intentionally held the signing of this agreement without any notable ceremony as differently from the other countries, as if it feared the countries that have not recognized Kosovo and Serbia. He notes that apart from the content of the SAA for Kosovo which differs from those of the other countries, the manner in which the Agreement was signed differs as well. “Even though there are clear tendencies of Kosovo’s government representatives to exaggerate the importance of the SSA, its importance should not be underrated. It does not change much the EU’s approach towards Kosovo, but under the status-quo circumstances that will last for years and where Kosovo will not be treated as a state, this Agreement is a maximal possible achievement,” Palokaj writes.
He mentions further Kosovo’s benefits from the SAA on trade and reforms which are expected to prepare Kosovo for the EU. However, he notes that judged from the judicial point of view, SAA for Kosovo is based on the agreements that the EU has signed with “entities that are not sovereign states” similar to the trade agreements with Taiwan, Hong Kong or Palestinian authorities. He further notes that this was the only way for the EU High Representative Mogherini and Commissioner Hahn to sign such an agreement on behalf of the EU. Claims that Kosovo is being treated like all the other states are government representatives’ naïve and shortsighted attempts to manipulate.
Palokaj further mentions the unresolved problems with regards to the regional cooperation and territorial claims among the Balkans countries, adding that EU did not manage to resolve these dilemmas. In the contrary, he stresses, with the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, EU has increased Serbia’s illusions that Kosovo is not a state. Speaking about EU’s future, some EU clerks even claim that “Kosovo region will be part of the EU in one way or another.” According to Palokaj, there is not another way, because only states can become EU members and they have to be recognized by all existing members. “Instead of the dialogue being in service to Kosovo, Kosovo was put in service of the dialogue and everything that was being done in Kosovo had to be in service of the dialogue. Now when it is considered that “dialogue brought the SAA, it appears that SAA will also be in service of the dialogue,” Palokaj concludes.
