Pristina, November 21
Today we had three trilateral meetings and three bilateral meetings during eight hours here in Brussels, with the president of Serbia in the mediation or facilitation of the vice president of the European Commission and the high representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell and the special emissary for the Western Balkans and the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Mr. Miroslav Lajcak.
During these meetings, on the one hand, the issue of the final agreement for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia was discussed, and on the other hand, the current issues, because this is how the following talks are organized from the August 18 meeting that we had here in Brussels. So, first the final agreement and then the current issues. When we came to Brussels, we came with a concrete proposal for a joint declaration, which meant in the first paragraph the commitment to deal urgently with the proposal of the European Union for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, supported by France, Germany and United States. During these meetings that we had today, we were close to an agreement, but the issue of the proposal of the European Union was not accepted by the Serbian side, because they do not consider that proposal as a good basis for holding talks on the normalization of relations, as the Government of the Republic of Kosovo does. We were closeto an agreement in the sense that we had agreed to suspend the next phase of the implementation of our decision on the issue of converting license plates from illegal ones to those of the Republic of Kosovo, i.e. the fines, to continue only with those reprimands, meanwhile on the side other Serbia to stop producing and issuing license plates in Serbia that have the names of the cities of Kosovo.
But, of course, this is not acceptable for us if it is not accompanied by what we were invited for, that is, the agreement to urgently commit to a final agreement for full normalization of relations. And in the proposal they brought to us, for the joint statement Mr. Borrell and Lajcak, there was even a deadline of March 2023. So we are coming here, in Brussels, to agree on a new course for an agreement that is reached before March 2023. Regrettably, we I can say that the mediators, in this case the High Representative of the European Union, Mr. Josep Borrell practically gave up on this deadline of March 2023 and on the proposal of the European Union for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
I am saying this with regret, because they themselves have proposed March 2023, and on the other hand, the proposal is also from the European Union. When we met in Paris, within the framework of the Peace Forum, Mr. Joseph Borrell said that the proposal is not Franco-German, the proposal is of the European Union but supported by France and Germany. Okay, so that’s what we’ll call it, the proposal of the European Union. But today, I say with regret, he gave up on the European Union’s proposal for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. I am ready to come here, to hold meetings always with the same structure and order; the final agreement with full normalization of relations that has mutual recognition at the center, and current issues that are of different natures, including the work of these license plates. However, one cannot do without the other. So, we cannot be irresponsible in not addressing current issues, but I also cannot turn into a state leader who deals only with license plate issues, and we do not discuss the normalization of relations. Therefore, we are in this situation and I hope that the European Union will find the strength to stand behind its proposal for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. As a result, after eight hours of talks, in six meetings in total, three bilateral and three trilateral, we still do not have an agreement. Thank you very much.
Last modified: November 22, 2022