Prishtina, 5 March 2024
The First Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue of the Republic of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, hosted the Special Representative of the European Union for the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, Miroslav Lajçak.
In the meeting, they talked about moving forward and advancing the implementation of the Basic Agreement. In this regard, Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi reiterated that the agreement must be implemented through a fair, equal and balanced sequencing plan between the parties. He said that signing the agreement is a guarantee for its acceptance and implementation. In this regard, Serbia’s rejection and Prime Minister Brnabić’s letter last December do not contribute positively to the spirit of dialogue and the full implementation of the agreement.
Meanwhile, regarding the punitive measures against Kosovo, Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi requested their removal as soon as possible, where he stated that they are unfair and final steps must be taken towards their removal.
Furthermore, regarding the journey of the Republic of Kosovo towards membership in the Council of Europe, it was clarified by emissary Lajçak that Kosovo’s membership in this organization is not related to the dialogue process, and that they are two separate processes.
On the CBK Regulation, Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi clarified that this is not part of the dialogue process, and it is not the subject of negotiations between the parties. Also, assured Mr. Lajçak that the Government is interested in ensuring the continuation of Serbia’s financial support for Kosovo Serbs in the field of education, health and social protection.
During the meeting, other issues related to the dialogue process were raised, such as the progress of the implementation of the energy agreement with an emphasis on the non-cooperative approach regarding the maintenance of the interconnection lines; that for license plates, and telecommunications. On the latter, the concern about Serbia’s ongoing violations and interference in frequencies within the territory of the Republic of Kosovo, concerns raised by both ARKEP and KPM, was addressed.
Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi also addressed the issue of illegal KU passports, on which he underlined that this proposal continues to be unfair and that it damages the dialogue process.
In conclusion, he informed the emissary of the steps that the Government is taking, such as the support of two thousand jobs in the four northern municipalities, as well as mentioned the latest UNDP report which found an increase in the sense of security among Serbs of Kosovo, from 15.3% and 33.8% as it was in the past two years, to 37.6%.
Last modified: March 5, 2024