The head of the European Union's foreign policy, Josep Borrell, warned on Monday of increasing pressure on Kosovo and Serbia for the implementation of the agreement reached a year ago for the normalization of relations between them.
On the eve of the meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union, Mr. Borrell expressed regret for the non-implementation of the agreement that the parties agreed on on March 18, 2023 in Ohrid.
“I am very sorry that this hard-won agreement has not been implemented. We will continue to put pressure on both sides to move forward, but a year later the implementation is not what I expected,” said Mr. Borrell.
On February 27 of last year, the prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, agreed on a normalization agreement on a plan which became known as the Franco-German initiative.
On March 18, in Ohrid, they agreed on the roadmap for implementing the agreement, which requires good neighborly relations, recognition of documents and symbols, and respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It requires that the parties do not hinder each other in the integration processes, but does not require mutual recognition. The plan also envisages the fulfillment of all agreements previously reached in talks mediated by the European Union.
What is contained in the roadmap for the implementation of the European plan for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia
– The Annex is an integral part of the Agreement.
– Kosovo and Serbia are fully committed to respect all articles of the Agreement and this Annex, and to implement all their respective obligations, deriving from the Agreement and the Annex, promptly and in good faith.
– The parties take into account that the Agreement and the Implementation Annex become an integral part of the respective processes of membership of Kosovo and Serbia in the EU. The parties note that, immediately after the approval of the Agreement and this Annex, the EU mediator will begin the process to amend the Chapter 35 standards for Serbia, which will reflect Serbia's new obligations arising from the Agreement and the Annex. The agenda of the Kosovo Special Group on Normalization will equally reflect the new obligations of Kosovo arising from the Agreement and this Annex.
– The parties agree to adopt the Declaration on Missing Persons, as negotiated within the dialogue mediated by the EU, as a matter of urgency.
– In order to implement Article 7, Kosovo immediately starts negotiations within the dialogue mediated by the EU, for the determination of specific arrangements and guarantees, which ensure an appropriate degree of self-management for the Serbian community in Kosovo, in accordance with previous agreements relevant dialogue, as determined by the EU mediator.
– The parties agree on the establishment of a Joint Monitoring Committee, chaired by the EU, within 30 days. The implementation of all provisions will be ensured and supervised by the Joint Monitoring Committee.
– To implement Article 9, the EU will organize a donor conference within 150 days, to create a package of investments and financial assistance for Kosovo and Serbia. No distribution will occur before the EU determines that all provisions of the Agreement have been fully implemented.
– Kosovo and Serbia agree that all articles are implemented independently of each other.
– The order of the paragraphs of this Annex does not prejudge the order of their implementation.
– Kosovo and Serbia agree not to block the implementation of any of the articles.
– All discussions related to the implementation of the Agreement will take place within the dialogue mediated by the EU.
– Kosovo and Serbia acknowledge that non-compliance with the obligations from the Agreement, Annex or Dialogue Agreements so far, may have direct negative consequences for their respective EU membership processes and for the financial assistance they receive from the EU.
The agreement was welcomed by Western diplomacy and there was a degree of optimism that its implementation will begin immediately. However, this did not happen and the parties went through periods of high tensions that culminated on September 24 when a Kosovo policeman was killed during an attack by armed Serbs.
On October 21, the American and European envoys delivered to the parties a document on the implementation of the agreement, part of which was also a proposal for the statute of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority”, which is also the most difficult point of the negotiation process Kosovo – Serbia.
On October 26, the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia met with the leaders of the main countries of the European Union, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as part of Western efforts to advance the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said that he was ready to sign the project offered by Western diplomacy for the establishment of the Association, accusing Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of rejecting it.
The Serbian president said that the issue of signing or not signing was not raised during the talks, while he described the October 21 proposal as a good basis for continuing discussions in the future.
On October 27, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a joint statement asked Kosovo to start the procedure for the establishment of the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian majority, while Serbia to recognize the de-facto citizenship of Kosovo.
But the process of establishing the Association has not yet started, while Serbia said that it will not implement the parts of the agreement that lead to the de facto or de jure recognition of Kosovo.
The implementation of the agreement is expected to be discussed on Tuesday at the meeting of the chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia who are expected to meet in Brussels. But the meeting is expected to be overshadowed by the issue of the use of the Serbian dinar, which has become a topic of disagreement between the government in Pristina and Western diplomacy.
A regulation by the Central Bank of Kosovo banning the use of the dinar for cash payments in Kosovo prompted an angry reaction from Belgrade, and Western concerns about its impact on the lives of Kosovo Serbs, who continue to be financially supported by Serbia.
Western diplomats have called on the government of Kosovo to suspend this regulation and to give time to the affected citizens to adapt to the new situation. The United States has emphasized that the lack of coordination by the Kosovo government regarding this issue has affected the quality of the partnership between the two governments.