The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo and political analysts do not expect progress in the dialogue, despite the meeting at the level of chief negotiators called by the European Union on March 19 in Brussels. In Ramush Haradinaj’s party, they criticize Prime Minister Albin Kurti for his wrong approach to the dialogue and accuse him of transferring internal issues like the BQK regulation into political issues in the dialogue.
AAK deputy Time Kadrijaj says that Kurti will delay the implementation of the Brussels and Ohrid agreements because the elections are near, and he fears losing popular support.
Kadrijaj: Kurti will delay the dialogue because we are in an election year.
“As we are in the fourth year, this government is trying to prolong this issue so that first, they can go to elections and gain popular support… The dragging of this process is mainly because we are in an election year, and now, with decisions and populist actions such as the BQK regulation, an attempt is made to maintain populism. This can be seen from the statements of the majority that sovereignty has been extended to northern Mitrovica, while they have now accepted the signatures for the dismissal of Albanian mayors,” she says.
On the other hand, political analyst Albinot Maloku says that Lajčák will try to use all methods and ways to push the parties to implement the Brussels and Ohrid agreements before the end of his term.
Although he is skeptical about the results, he criticizes the Kosovo side for making the banning of the dinar in Kosovo a topic in the dialogue through the BQK regulation.
Maloku: Lajčák will use all methods for the implementation of the Brussels Agreement.
“Mr. Lajčák has his remaining mandate part and will try his best to ensure the implementation of the Brussels and Ohrid agreements. All means and methods will be used by the facilitator with the essential aim of having concrete results and success in Lajčák’s diplomatic career at the end of his mandate. It is unfortunate, besides contradictory by the Kosovo chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, that the issue of the dinar as a primarily technical issue is transferred as a political issue through a regulation by an independent authority,” says Maloku.
European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano confirmed on Friday that the meeting of Kosovo and Serbia’s chief negotiators will be held on March 19 in Brussels.
In a media conference, he said that the EU’s Special Envoy for the dialogue, Miroslav Lajčák, has invited the chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia to Brussels to discuss the implementation of the Brussels and Ohrid agreements, as well as to continue discussions on the decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo to ban the use of the dinar.
Stano: More discussions will be needed.
“There will be some issues on the agenda next Tuesday, and, of course, in general, the implementation of the so-called Ohrid Agreement is the most important issue. Individual aspects of this issue will also be discussed by the parties and the facilitator (EU),” said Stano.
Meanwhile, the government has confirmed its participation in this meeting. Media advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, Klisman Kadiu, said that the focus of the discussion agenda will be the implementation of the agreement towards normalization, as well as the implementation annex.
“Kosovo positively responds to invitations aimed at focusing on the road forward and the implementation of agreements within the framework of the dialogue process, which should lead to the normalization of relations and the finalization of the process. Our constructive approach needs to be recognized with constructiveness and cooperation from the other side,” he wrote.
During this week, the U.S. envoy to the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, has been in Kosovo, urging the Kosovar side for flexibility in finding a solution for the dinar and for the implementation of the Brussels and Ohrid agreements.
