President Vjosa Osmani has stated that Serbia has not implemented the agreements reached in Brussels. She even mentioned that Serbia did not implement what she considers the most important agreement, which concerns the dismantling of illegal parallel structures in Kosovo.
Instead of dismantling these structures, President Osmani said during a discussion at the GLOBSEC 2024 Forum that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has strengthened them, turning them into “mafia gangs.”
“None of the agreements have been implemented, especially the important one from 2013, which obligates Serbia to dismantle all of its illegal parallel structures in Kosovo, particularly in the north. What has happened over these 10 years is that instead of dismantling these structures, Serbia has continuously reinforced them to the point where these illegal structures have turned into mafia gangs and have become the greatest threat to the Serbian community living in northern Kosovo.”
“These illegal structures are criminal groups that are funded, appointed, and politically supported by Serbia. Now, after committing an act of aggression against Kosovo in September, they were hidden by Serbia in Serbia to avoid facing justice for the act of aggression,” said Osmani, referring to the attack by Milan Radoičić’s group in Banjska on September 24 last year.
She added that they are also suspected of other crimes, such as “the killing of Serbian politicians, burning of homes and cars of Serbs in the north, and threatening children in kindergartens… So, those who are suffering the most from these mafia gangs, funded and supported by Vučić in Serbia, are actually the Serbs in Kosovo.”
Osmani also criticized the European Union for imposing measures on Kosovo instead of Serbia.
“Despite all this, guess which party is under EU measures? It is the party that is 100% aligned with the EU in every foreign and security policy decision, the party that never buys weapons from Russia, China, or Iran, the party where 90% of the population supports the EU, the party that has never committed acts of aggression against its neighbors, that does not destabilize its neighbors, does not organize coups against its neighbors, and does not use Russian MIG29s to fly over its neighbors. This is the party under measures—Kosovo. Therefore, the table is turned over,” President Osmani emphasized at the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague.
Finally, she spoke about the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, stating that both countries have obligations.
“The final point about the dialogue: an agreement was reached in February 2023, and an annex later that year, which foresees obligations for both Kosovo and Serbia. According to the EU and the US, and I agree with this interpretation, it is a legally binding treaty. Josep Borrell, the High Representative, has also informed the UN Secretary-General that it is a legally binding treaty. But, for all experts: what happens if one party formally withdraws from a treaty? The fundamental principle of international law is that the other party is not obligated to comply.”
“Serbia has formally withdrawn from this agreement through letters sent by former Prime Minister (Ana Brnabić) to the EU, through statements by the country’s president (Aleksandar Vučić), and from the current Prime Minister (Miloš Vučević), who say: this is not a legally binding agreement, and we will not implement it. Now, despite these statements, the majority in the EU say that Kosovo must unilaterally implement this agreement.”
“I strongly believe that we are in a situation where we need to restore balance at the table. If the parties are treated equally, then we can succeed, and we are very confident that with changes in the EU, with a new High Representative coming, equality will return to the table,” President Vjosa Osmani concluded.
