Alexándar Vucic insisted that he did not sign “nothing”, while the Kosovar prime minister, Albert Kurti, accused the Serbian president of trying to avoid signing his signature on the agreement.
After holding a long meeting in the city of Ohrid (North Macedonia), the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albert Kurti, and the President of Serbia, Alexándar Vucic, They reached an agreement on how to implement the western plan of normalization of relationsas announced on Saturday night by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, who participated in the meeting as mediator.
“Today’s goal for Kosovo and Serbia was to agree how to implement the agreement agreed at the last high-level meeting held on February 27 in Brussels. The agreement was reached, but today it was about agreeing how to implement it. It is often said that the devil is in the details (…) Well, sometimes the devil is on the calendar. (…) Finally, after 12 hours, we have an agreement on how to do it“, projection Borrell.
Likewise, the head of European diplomacy stressed that Belgrade and Pristina agreed to the annex on the implementation of the commitments assumed in the agreement. The two documents now are considered confirmed and they will be publisheddetailed the senior official.
On the other hand, he assured that Serbia and Kosovo pledged to respect all the points of the agreement and its full implementation. . . . In particular, he mentioned Article 7 on the Community of Serbian Municipalities in Kosovo and Metojia.
“For Article 7, Kosovo agreed to begin negotiations immediatelyand when I say immediately, I mean immediately, for the establishment of arrangements and preparations to ensure a true level of self-governance of the Serb community,” Borrell said.
“I haven’t signed anything today”
For his part, Vucic emphasized to reporters that both parties exposed their “red lines” and that, despite their “numerous” disagreements, they agreed “on various points.” “I have not signed anything even today. We have made good progress in a constructive atmosphere. It wasn’t D-day, but it was a good day“said the president, quoted by the Serbian portal Novosti.
At the same time, he announced that tomorrow he will explain each point to the public, while stressing that there is still “serious work ahead.” “if we want persevere on the European pathour progress will also be appreciated in terms of implementation,” he said, not without insisting that the formation of Serbian communities in Kosovo it is “a priority obligation” for Pristina.
Meanwhile, the Kosovar prime minister denounced that Vucic is trying to avoid putting your signature on the agreement. “The other party, as in the Brussels talks on February 27, avoids signing the agreement and now also the annex. It is now up to the European Union to find a mechanism to make this agreement legally and internationally binding“said Kurti, quoted by the daily Today.
The day before, thousands of people took to the streets of the Serbian capital, Belgrade, to reject the agreement to normalize relations with the rebel province. The protesters, who see the pact as a recognition of independence from Pristina, attacked Vucic, branding him a “traitor”some even going so far as to issue death threats against him.
- Among the main conditions of the agreement at the end of February are mutual recognition of the respective documents and symbols of Serbia and Kosovo, including passports, registration plates and others. In addition, the parties agree to resolve any dispute exclusively by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force.
- Neither party will represent the other internationally or act on its behalf. Serbia will not oppose the accession of Kosovo to any international organization.
- Kosovo separated de facto from Serbia during the war in the late 1990s, after NATO, led by the United States, launched a campaign of bombing against the country in 1999.
- Washington and many of its allies recognized Kosovo as a sovereign state after its Parliament voted to declare the formal independence in 2008, but Serbia and a number of nations, such as Russia, China or Spain, have not.
