In line with Kosovo laws and the Brussels Agreement, Association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo will have neither executive nor monitoring jurisdiction, instead it will have a coordination and advisory role. Serbian side knows this as of the moment of signing the Brussels agreement. I am following the debate between officials in Serbia – I advise them to stay away from illusions and think about what was agreed in Brussels. Kosovo Ministry for Local Government Administration, in December 2013 presented the draft statute of the association to the EU, however talks did not start yet due to a dragging in implementation of the Agreement. We consider that full and verifiable implementation of the agreement on judiciary, disbanding of ‘civil protection’ and all Serbian parallel structures will provide necessary conditions for opening of the issue of association, said Minister without portfolio in the Kosovo government in charge for dialogue with Belgrade, Edita Tahiri, in a conversation carried out electronically with Belgrade-based daily Danas.

Why Pristina insists that the Association/Community of Serb municipalities (A/CSM) is discussed after the implementation of all agreements, and is it about a counter-request with regard to denying position of Belgrade that ‘nothing is agreed, until all is agreed’?

The issue of implementation of the Brussels Agreement is actually much more important than the sole agreements – its verifiable implementation encourages progress of the dialogue and enables reaching other agreements. However, not only that Serbia is inefficient in its implementation but violates them as well. Amongst other, it still supports parallel municipal structures in northern Kosovo, what is contrary to the Brussels Agreement. With negative motions, which prevent normalization of situation in northern Kosovo, Serbia causes damage to itself, since as it is well known, EU as of January 2014 is not allowing opening of pre-accession talks. The time of hypocrisy is gone, consistency is needed and when it comes to ‘fulfilling of what was agreed’, in line with the European system of integration.

Is Pristina ready to strike a sort of deal ‘A/CSM for the law on Kosovo Army’ with the Serbian List, because amendment of the Kosovo Constitution is needed for the adoption of this law, what requires votes of Serb MPs in the Kosovo parliament?

Those are two different issues and they can’t be brought into connection. In our country, jurisdiction and work of institutions is defined with the Kosovo Constitution. Army of Kosovo is a constitutional category and we are progressing in building security architecture of our state in line with comprehensive NATO standards. Associations are not institutions and are not constitutional categories in state practice anywhere in the world.

How truthful are announcements that Serbian education and health sectors will transfer into Kosovo system?

Kosovo is a sovereign and independent state which implements sovereign jurisdiction in all segments of the public life in line with the Constitution, and guarantees rights to minorities in line with the international standards, including health and education. It should be stressed that Serbs enjoy bigger rights than other minorities in Kosovo and the region. For example, they are authorized to manage 25 per cent of Kosovo municipalities, what is five times more than their percentage in overall population in Kosovo society; they have the right on university education, Serbian language is official language in Kosovo…In comparison to the rights of minorities in Serbia, particularly Albanians in Presevo Valey, rights of Kosovo Serbs are much bigger. Serbia should improve legitimate rights of Albanians, end discrimination and stop requesting special rights for Serbian minority until it provides this to minorities who live there.

Have Belgrade, Pristina and Brussels agreed over at least a framework of a plan and dynamic of the political dialogue? Is there any deadline for the end of negotiations and signing of legally binding agreement on normalization of relations?

The last meeting at the high political level between prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia, facilitated by the EU High Representative, has provided new impetus to future and success of the dialogue. That is particularly important because normalization of relations between two states, which fought in the past, contributes to sustainable peace and stability in the region and Europe. The Brussels dialogue also serves as normalization of affairs in northern Kosovo and for enabling integration of Kosovo Serbs from that region into Kosovo state system. Having in mind daily agenda of continuation of dialogue, Kosovo government had presented its position in bilateral meetings with the EU representatives, which encompasses: demarcation of state borders, respect of good neighborly relations and non-interference in sovereignty, dissolution of all parallel structures of Serbia in Kosovo, setting of the bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest in line with the European and Euro-Atlantic standards, mutual recognition of two states, war reparations, succession following the principle of defragmentation of Yugoslavia where Kosovo was one of eight federal entities, and that both states don’t hinder each other on their ways to Euro and Euro-Atlantic integration, including the United Nations. Dialogue in Brussels will be considered successful after its goal is reached – that Kosovo and Serbia become the EU members.

How is it viewed in Pristina that Serbian Constitutional Court has declared the first Brussels Agreement as a political document, whereas there are interpretations now that as such it is not binding?

Serbia, internally and for its home political marketing can think and interpret the Brussels Agreement as it suits her, although Serbia is aware that it is about international obligation and EU standard. EU had legally bound Serbia on normalization of good neighborhood relations with Kosovo and that condition is reflected in Chapter 35 in the accession process for Serbia. Serbia is also aware that it will have to recognize Kosovo before it becomes the EU member.

Does Pristina have international guarantees when it categorically claims that property in Kosovo won’t be discussed in Brussels, even though it is formally about the territory of Serbia, the UN member state and internationally recognized borders, whose property is, under the protectorate of the UN, managed by UNMIK?

As the principle negotiator of Kosovo in the Brussels’ dialogue from its beginning, I assure you that property was never and will never be the topic in negotiations in Brussels. Efforts of Serbia to open that issue are met with the firm rejection of Kosovo. Sovereignty over the property and resources belongs to Kosovo state, because, I would like to highlight it, International Court of Justice in 2010 confirmed the legality of the declaration of independence of Kosovo.

How do you comment estimations of many Albanian politicians in Pristina that law on special court for Kosovo Liberation Army crimes won’t pass in the Kosovo parliament and what would that mean in political terms for the incumbent Kosovo authorities, especially if the court would be under the UN auspices?

A draft law refers to individuals and not the KLA. It was internationally recognized as the armed fight of the Kosovo people, whose aim was just war against the Serbian genocidal aggression. Freedom fight was supported by the North Atlantic Alliance headed by the US, what resulted with NATO intervention against Serbia and brought freedom and peace to Kosovo. Process of peace building is very important moment. We support international justice and we are ready to cooperate in order that truth prevails over the ungrounded charges against our freedom fighters, even though is about an unjust process.

Reasons for migration

Could statements of Kosovo officials, like the one of the Minister for Diaspora Valon Murati, that Kosovo Albanians are migrating due to a ‘privileged position of non-Albanian communities, particularly the Serbian one’, bring a new wave of violence against Serbs in Kosovo?

I don’t know for that statement, but I can say that the phenomenon of the of massive unnatural migration was caused by many external and internal reasons, amongst which the most significant ones are the lack of freedom of movement of Kosovo citizens in the EU and search for better economic conditions. This phenomenon exists and in other states in the region.

Serbian ministers in the Kosovo team

When A/CSM is about to be discussed in Brussels, in whose delegation should be the Kosovo Minister for Local Government Administration Ljubomir Maric, who is the member of the Steering Team for creation of the A/CSM appointee by the Serbian Government?

Minister Maric and other Serbian ministers in the Kosovo government took oaths in the Kosovo parliament and signed the statement that they will respect the Kosovo Constitution. Based on that they work as ministers of the Kosovo state, which they represent and abroad, including the Brussels dialogue.