The Kosovo Parliament failed to adopt a resolution on the implementation of the Washington Agreement on Economic Normalization between Kosovo and Serbia, which was signed on September 4, 2020 at the White House, in the presence of former US President Donald Trump.
In support of the resolution proposed by the Democratic League of Kosovo, 24 deputies voted, while 57 abstained.
The resolution called on the Kosovo government to implement the agreement and prepare an action plan to be submitted to parliament.
The Washington agreement signed by former Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in the presence of former President Trump provided for a series of actions for economic normalization, including a feasibility study for Lake Ujman, which extends into the territory. of Kosovo and Serbia.
On June 23, the United States submitted to the governments of Kosovo and Serbia a report from the US Department of Energy on water management of the lake.
In early July, during a debate on the resolution that was not adopted today, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said that his government will use the arguments from the report of the US Department of Energy, on the water management of Lake Ujman, for to protect, as he said, this wealth of Kosovo.
The Washington agreement also provided for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Kosovo, which took place on February 1 this year, while on March 14, Kosovo opened its embassy in Jerusalem. According to the agreement, July 1 was the deadline for Serbia to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that “Serbia’s interests have changed since Israel recognized Kosovo’s independence.”
The Washington agreement envisages, among other things, the construction of road and rail links between Kosovo and Serbia and the creation of opportunities for the free movement of people and goods. Under the agreement, Kosovo vows to become part of the “mini-Schengen” initiative, which has already changed its name to “Open Balkans”, a joint initiative of Albania, Serbia and northern Macedonia.
The initiative, which was launched in Serbia’s Novi Sad in October 2019, has never secured significant support in Kosovo, but neither in Montenegro nor in Bosnia, three of the six countries in the Balkan region aspiring to European integration.
Prime Minister Kurti said on Sunday that the “Open Balkans” initiative is more like an open Balkans for influences from the East.
The new US administration has stressed that it expects Kosovo and Serbia to adhere to the obligations arising from the Washington Agreement.