• U.S.: Kurti and Osmani’s offices confirmed attendance in discussion (RFE)
• U.S. presses Kosovo on municipal body in Serb-majority areas (AP)
• German ambassador insists on establishment of Association (media)
• Kusari-Lila: Bigger pressure on Kosovo, because only govt is resisting (T7)
• Haradinaj meets Escobar: Final agreement must be a joint victory (media)
• Schlee: According to statute, Association won’t have executive powers (KTV)
• Gorani: This government has not said no to the Association (media)
• Walker: It is not good to form the Association (Telegrafi)
• TI: Despite the fight, Kosovo has yet to control corruption (RFE)
• Croatian Prime Minister reacts to President Milanovic: Kosovo is an independent state, no one has annexed it (Koha)

U.S.: Kurti and Osmani’s offices confirmed attendance in discussion (RFE)

The U.S. Embassy in Pristina said on Monday that the Office of Prime Minister Albin Kurti and the Office of President Vjosa Osmani have confirmed their attendance in the discussion on the Association of Serb-majority municipalities today.

“Our goal is to advance mutual understanding for the commitment to the Association of Serb-majority municipalities,” a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy told Radio Free Europe.

The embassy also said that the discussion on the Association is in line with the objective of the United States to advance Kosovo’s integration in European and Euro-Atlantic structures and is “a reflection of our long friendship and support for the people of Kosovo”.

U.S. presses Kosovo on municipal body in Serb-majority areas (AP)

United States officials on Monday pressed Kosovo to allow an association of ethnic Serb-majority municipalities as a “critical element” in its road as an independent country.

Derek Chollet, counselor of the Department of State, and Gabriel Escobar, special envoy for the Western Balkans, published an op-ed as part of U.S. and European Union efforts to promote “a healthy, peaceful, and sustainable relationship between Serbia and Kosovo.”

During the past weeks U.S. and EU envoys have visited Pristina and Belgrade to encourage them to accept a new proposal for the two countries to normalize relations, and boost their EU accession bids.

The proposal’s details have not yet been made public.

Pristina has been reluctant to accept the creation of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, or ASM, fearing that could lead to the creation of a state within a state — like Republika Srpska in multi-ethnic Bosnia Herzegovina.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3HIJlgl

German ambassador insists on establishment of Association (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, said on Monday that Kosovo has received an obligation to establish the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority.

Rohde posted on Twitter the view of the adviser of the U.S. State Department, Derek Chollet and the emissary of the EU for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar. "I completely agree: On June 27, 2013, Kosovo committed to create the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority. It has been delayed and would advance the normalization talks," Rohde wrote on Twitter.

Kusari-Lila: Bigger pressure on Kosovo, because only govt is resisting (T7)

Head of the Vetevendosje Movement (VV) parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said on Monday that the biggest pressure for the Association of Serb-majority municipalities is falling on Kosovo because according to her only the government and not the opposition is offering resistance. Kusari-Lila argued that it is a common principle that there is always bigger pressure where there is less resistance.

She said that even if Prime Minister Albin Kurti is brought down from power, his position will not become weaker. She argued that unlike previous governments in Kosovo, the Kurti-led government is not dependent on the Serbian List. “This is the first government that does not depend on the Serbian List. We have cooperated with them, but they wanted a role in this government which they had in previous governments,” she added.

Haradinaj meets Escobar: Final agreement must be a joint victory (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj, met at the U.S. State Department with the U.S. emissary for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.

In a post on Facebook, Haradinaj said that the meeting "was honest and political developments were discussed, with particular emphasis on the need to reach a final, legally binding agreement between Kosovo and Serbia".

"I thanked Mr. Escobar for his commitment and that of the American administration for many decades and I encouraged the deepening of relations and the increase of support for Kosovo. Kosovo's achievements, from the 90s, the liberation war and state building have taken place in joint partnership. Even the Final Agreement must be a joint victory. We will work closely with the USA so that the partnership for peace and membership of Kosovo in NATO is achieved urgently, as it is vital for sustainable peace in the region," Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.

Schlee: According to statute, Association won’t have executive powers (KTV)

Rene Schlee, head of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) branch in Kosovo, said in an interview with the TV station on Monday that according to their draft statute on the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, the latter would not have executive powers and it would not be a third tier of government in Kosovo.

Gorani: This government has not said no to the Association (media)

Dukagjin Gorani, political commentator, said in a TV debate on Monday that the Kosovo government did not say no to the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. “There hasn’t been a no to the Association. I don’t think this government has said no either. It is a different matter if there is a critical mass of the majority in the population, in the Assembly. If you carefully read the latest interview that the Prime Minister gave to Radio Free Europe, he said ‘before the final agreement is reached and before a final agreement is discussed, we cannot accept the Association,” Gorani said.

“Tomorrow at the meeting of the [U.S.] Embassy there will be representatives from the offices of the Prime Minister, the President, and the Assembly President. The government of Kosovo is trying to buy time to create readiness in the society,” he said.

According to Gorani, the best solution would be the correction of borders between Kosovo and Serbia but said that that opportunity is gone.

Walker: It is not good to form the Association (Telegrafi)

Former Head of the OSCE Verification Mission to Kosovo, William Walker, said on Monday that forming an association for a separate group is not a positive development and that he doesn’t understand the benefits that Kosovo may have if it forms this mechanism.

In an interview with TV Dukagjini, Walker argued that it is not good to form the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. “I think the proposal (on the Association) must be rejected. This is my opinion, and perhaps I don’t have a good understanding of certain benefits, but I don’t think it is good to create it. A people in a country, where you are different from the rest and have other right, I don’t think this helps this country,” Walker was quoted as saying.

TI: Despite the fight, Kosovo has yet to control corruption (RFE)

With 41 points, Kosovo has made progress in the fight against corruption, but it has yet to keep the phenomenon under control, according to the Transparency International report for 2022. “Kosovo has made progress with an improved legal framework for the funding of political and election campaigns, but the implementation of these reforms will be crucial in the coming months,” the report notes. “The government has to further improve transparency and refrain from any interference in the judicial system”.

The report further notes that although corruption scandals have been revealed last year “this does not mean that corruption is under control”.

“Low budgetary expenditures for capital investments in the last couple of years have reduced the possibility of corruption in the allocation of public contracts, something that has been a problem in the past,” the report also notes.

Croatian Prime Minister reacts to President Milanovic: Kosovo is an independent state, no one has annexed it (Koha)

The statement of the president of Croatia Zoran Milanovic that "Kosovo was stolen from Serbia" has caused great indignation in Croatia and has been unanimously condemned by the entire political spectrum. Although Milanovic said he "supports Kosovo and has accepted its independence", his comparison of the annexation of parts of Ukraine by Russia to Kosovo's independence has been condemned by many politicians in Croatia.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said that Milanovic with his statements is "embarrassing Croatia" but added that "fortunately our friends in the international community and friendly countries know what is happening in Croatia and whose such positions are." Plenkovic recalled that Croatia was among the first to recognize Kosovo as a state and does not accept comparisons and claims of "annexation".

"As far as I know, nobody has annexed Kosovo. No country. Kosovo is an independent state recognized by Croatia. Annexation is when Russia occupies Ukrainian territory, organizes a fake referendum and annexes those parts to Russia. Kosovo is an independent, sovereign state that we have recognised. No one has annexed it", said Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic. He said that Milanovic is now "a star not only in the media of Russia, but also of Serbia".

The statements of the president of Croatia, Milanovic, have been also condemned by the opposition parties.