Albin Kurti’s statements about the preparations to establish reciprocity with Serbia in order not to fail, the Serbian government described as a direct undermining of the dialogue.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, does not intend to give up the establishment of reciprocity with Serbia, but to do so he said, that good preparation is needed so as not to fail. The issue of reciprocity with Serbia Kurti said that he also discussed it in Brussels during the meetings he had with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vuҫi., In the framework of the dialogue with Serbia, mediated by the European Union. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti made these comments during a parliamentary session, where the 100th day of his government was discussed.
“We do not have reciprocity for revenge”
“In these first 100 days of my rule we have had a new director of Customs and we must prepare well, because we can not fail again. You know, in the Kurti 1 government, we established reciprocity and the subsequent government abolished reciprocity. “If we fail to fully implement reciprocity again, then it dies as a concept,” said Albin Kurti, responding to opposition criticism that he had broken his electoral promise by not establishing reciprocity with Serbia. Kurti said that his government wants full reciprocity with Serbia to be done in such a way that it does not disappear.
“We do not have reciprocity for revenge, we believe that it is a sound principle of relations between states, which derives from the concept of equality. In addition, we do not have reciprocity to add barriers, but to remove existing ones and we want to do it in a way that is no longer undone “, said Prime Minister Kurti.
Petkovic: “Kurti is directly undermining the dialogue”
Kosovo in 2018 had imposed a 100 percent tax on Serbian products, while the government Kurti 1, replaced it with reciprocity, which includes a series of trade measures. The next government led by Abdullah Hoti abolished reciprocity, which was also supported by the EU and the United States.
Recent statements by the Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, that he is preparing to establish reciprocity with Serbia in such a way that it does not fail, provoked the reaction of the director of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian government, Petar Petkovic. According to him, “with threats to impose reciprocity measures on Serbia, Kurti is directly undermining the dialogue and everything that has been agreed so far.” “The issue of reciprocity is a euphemism for raising new economic barriers, to which Serbs in Kosovo and Belgrade were exposed during the 100 percent anti-civilization tax period. “It would be better for Kurti to commit to implementing the agreements reached so far, especially the formation of the Association of Serbian Municipalities, instead of such announcements of unilateral moves that directly disrupt the dialogue,” Petkovic said in a statement. statement to the media issued by his office. According to him, Kurti’s statements represent a continuation of “open obstruction of dialogue and officials from Brussels.”
Wilson: To reformulate a dialogue between equal parties
The next meeting between the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti and the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vuҫi., Mediated by the European Union, is expected to take place in September. And this dialogue, according to a report by the American Wilson Center, entitled (Consolidation of Kosovo’s sovereignty), which deals with political analysis of the Balkans, states that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia should be reformulated into a dialogue between equal parties, and based on the principle “first people, not territory”. According to this report, Kosovo and Serbia have a unique opportunity to resolve one of the main sources of interstate tensions in the Western Balkans, the problem of Kosovo’s sovereignty.
“By not acting more strategically to help Kosovo and Serbia resolve their differences, the EU has contributed to the current situation, where the whole region is in a state of tension, allowing intervention by Russia, China and others. “, The report says. It adds that “neutral status stems from the five non-recognizing states within the EU, while the administration of US President Joe Biden should focus on efforts for these states to change their approach to Kosovo.”
“If the EU fails to unify its position on Kosovo and enter the Western Balkans into the enlargement process, which would allow member states to veto membership talks and visa liberalization for aspiring countries, its impact “It will weaken, including its capacity to use conditionality to resolve disputes, fight corruption and promote reform,” the Wilson Center said in a statement. The report recommends Kosovo and Serbia to “put people before the territory, prioritizing key issues affecting people’s lives” ./ DW
