President Vjosa Osmani, in her annual address to the Assembly of Kosovo, discussed the Dialogue with Serbia and the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities, as reported by Gazeta Sinjali.
“Unfortunately, the EU-led dialogue with Serbia has been completely unbalanced, marked by an unfair treatment of Kosovo and a continuous accommodation of Serbia. The fact that, at the negotiation table, the state that committed aggression against Kosovo faces no measures, while the victim of that aggression, Kosovo, is under measures, is the clearest evidence of this. Therefore, it is essential to reflect on this approach by all those who genuinely want lasting peace and stability in our region,” Osmani stated.
She emphasized the need for self-reflection:
“This does not mean that we should not also reflect on our path thus far and how things can be improved. I must express regret that the proposals I have often made to improve this process have been met with a series of disinformation campaigns and low-level attacks, unbecoming of anyone in Kosovo.”
Osmani also clarified her stance on the Association:
“To be even clearer, when I proposed that discussions on the draft for the Association be initiated with the United States, to prevent this matter from being left to Lajčak or others who do not believe in Kosovo’s independence, this did not mean I was advocating for the establishment of the Association. Rather, it reflected my belief in ourselves and in the United States, over certain bureaucrats from non-recognizing states. I believed that a draft statute protecting our Constitution, sovereignty, borders, and state functionality would be better developed by us, who have the mandate to defend Kosovo, than by some ‘external experts’ who have never believed in the project of an independent, sovereign, and free Kosovo,” Osmani said.
The president also criticized the reaction to her proposal:
“Unfortunately, my proposal at the time was attacked in the lowest manner, with all kinds of defamations, including accusations of national treason. And where are we today? We are at the exact point where it is being requested that we draft it ourselves. However, as is well known, the right decisions must also be made at the right time. The same is happening these days, with low-level accusations claiming that the President is supposedly calling for a ‘unilateral signing of the agreement.’ This is a lie.”
Osmani explained her position on implementing agreements:
“What I have said is this:
- The implementation of the agreement only makes sense if both sides honor it.
- As an alternative, as the President of the country, I believe that if it becomes clear that Serbia will ultimately not fulfill its part of the agreement (which I believe it won’t, even if it signs it), then we should discuss with our allies the implementation of our part only in exchange for international guarantees. These include NATO membership, membership in international organizations, security guarantees through a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), and support for new recognitions.
To put it plainly, for me, the signature of the President of the United States holds far greater importance than that of the President of Serbia. I hope I am clear enough,” the President concluded.
