In a statement to the press, the Kosovo delegation, currently in talks with Serbia under the EU facilitation in Brussels, said that the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities will not be tackled at this stage. “Only four topics will be discussed at this round of talks in Brussels: freedom of movement, diplomas, cadaster, and telephone code,” the delegation said.
Klan Kosova claims to have secured the list containing the members of the managing team tasked with establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities and they include: Igor Kalamar, Dejan Radojković, Vinka Radosavljević, and Svetislav Durlević. The team is expected to work closely with the Kosovo’s Ministry for Local Government and Administration as well as the OSCE and other institutions.
The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) voted against beginning of negotiations on the liberalisation of visas for citizens of Kosovo. The S&D Group remains strongly in favour of visa liberalisation, however this can only begin when the government of Kosovo has addressed all the outstanding issues.
The President of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi, said today after visiting the memorial of the missing persons in Pristina that no one has the right to keep the European future of Kosovo hostage based on any kind of provincial logic. Therefore I believe and strongly hope that things will move in the right direction,” Thaçi said.
Veton Surroi considers that renegotiation of the agreement for the demarcation of the border between Kosovo and Montenegro is an interest of Kosovo, because, according to him, this would create an internal consensus. He also considers that it is an interest of Kosovo and Montenegro for the demarcation to happen based on the consent of both parties. Currently this is not possible being that one of the parties is not unanimous, he writes.
Vetëvendosje movement’s Secretary for media and communication, Frashër Krasniqi, spoke for Klan Kosova about the statements of the U.S. Vice-President, Joe Biden, made at the press conference after his meeting with the President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi. “We followed the press conference, it is interesting that Thaçi insisted more on demarcation and Association,” Krasniqi said.
The U.S. Vice President Joe Biden during his official visit to Kosovo told a press conference on Wednesday that Kosovo must ratify the border-demarcation agreement with Montenegro and establish the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities. Otherwise, he said, Kosovo would lose the support of the US if it doesn’t fulfill these two agreements. “The agreement on border-demarcation with Montenegro is a fair deal and will have a positive impact on the region,” Biden said.
Kadri Veseli, head of the ruling PDK, said Kosovo will implement controversial agreements with Montenegro and on creating an association of Serb-majority municipalities.
Officials from the three opposition parties – Vetëvendosje, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) – have not ruled out the possibility of joining their forces to oppose the ratification of the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro. The agreement is expected to be put to vote at the Kosovo Assembly within two months. Vetëvendosje spokesperson Frashër Krasniqi said the future protest could be called in cooperation with other opposition parties.
Authorities in Belgrade insist the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities is established in accordance to the Brussels agreement and not the Constitution of Kosovo, reported Radio Free Europe in Albanian. The agreement reached on 25 August last year as part of the dialogue for normalisation of relations between Pristina and Belgrade grants the Association/Community a level of autonomy in education, health, urban and rural planning.