Prishtina, 12 July, 2023
Dear Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Dear citizens,
Let me address two issues before you today. One has to do with our recent preoccupation and engagement, that is, the de-escalation of the situation in the four municipalities in the north of the country, and the other with our permanent priority and focus, the reform of the justice system.
On Monday in Bratislava, Slovakia, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, met with the Special Representative of the European Union for the Western Balkans and the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, Miroslav Lajçak. The aim of the meeting was to create the preconditions for focusing on the full and unconditional implementation of the Basic Agreement.
It is therefore about the Basic Agreement reached in Brussels on February 27 and its annex agreed in Ohrid on March 18 of this year, which is an integral part of the Agreement.
In this context, Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi has reached an agreement with the emissary of the European Union, Lajcak, on the following points:
1. The Government of Kosovo publicly announces its readiness to work towards the de-escalation of the situation, as well as not to take steps that could escalate the situation in the north of our country. This also means the immediate reduction of 1/4 of the policemen who are inside the municipal buildings or in their vicinity. So, 25% of the policemen will be moved elsewhere in the same municipalities and will continue their duties where there is more need for them, since we consider that the situation near the municipal buildings has been comparatively much calmer for two weeks now.
2. The Kosovo Police, depending on the circumstances, together with EULEX and KFOR, will assess the security situation, with the aim of eventually seeing the possibilities for further reduction of the police presence in municipal buildings or in their vicinity. This was our request from the beginning, since we see the rule of law and peace and security as a common interest of all parties.
3. The Government of Kosovo will make a public statement supporting the holding of early elections in those municipalities. This will happen after the summer season and of course, in full compliance with the legal framework. On this occasion, we have expressed our commitment to provide the necessary legal basis to enable the organization of early municipal elections. For us, as the Government of Kosovo, it has always been and continues to be important that the citizens of the Republic, wherever they are, without distinction, have local representation that represents them properly. But in order to achieve this, it is necessary to create an environment that enables genuine campaigning, political pluralism, the participation of local communities, and that guarantees the inviolability of the vote. In this context, the importance that our Government attaches to the rule of law in each part of the country should be interpreted. We cannot compromise with the rule of law, because it would seriously undermine democracy.
Law over politics is the adequate definition of democracy in our current context.
4. The last point of agreement in Bratislava concerns the invitation that the European Union will send to the two chief negotiators. These will be invited to Brussels to finalize the sequencing plan, or in other words the implementation table, for the Agreement on the Road to Normalization of Relations. After the finalization of the sequencing plan, the implementation of all articles of the Agreement will begin immediately.
I have continuously underlined that for the success of the implementation of the Basic Agreement:
First, both parties must publicly acknowledge that the agreement is legally binding, which has not yet happened on the Serbian side.
Second, that the agreement must be fully implemented, which is probably still not clear to one of the parties.
Thirdly, that the implementation of the articles of the agreement cannot be conditioned.
And fourthly, that both sides should have the opportunity to negotiate from equal positions, which has been compromised by the imposition of temporary measures against Kosovo by the European Union.
In conclusion, I believe that the Bratislava agreement will help a lot in strengthening the focus and establishing equality between the parties, which helps the full implementation of the Basic Agreement and its Annex.
Dear citizens,
The rule of law has no alternative. Reform in Justice with the aim of independence, professionalism, and increasing efficiency in the distribution of justice is our priority. The work for its implementation has not stopped for a single moment, since the first day of our government.
Immediately after the green light of the Venice Commission on Vetting in Justice, we have prepared and compiled the constitutional amendments for this purpose. It has been more than four months that we are waiting for the Decision of the Constitutional Court if these amendments are in accordance with Chapter II of our Constitution. We hope that this wait will come to an end soon, because the road is long.
We have approved the Law on the State Bureau for Verification and Confiscation of Unjustified Assets. But, since February 21 of this year, it remains blocked in the Constitutional Court after its contestation by the opposition. Almost five months have passed. Still no answer. For this too, we hope to have a decision soon, because the Bureau will have a lot of work ahead of it.
An equally important reform is the one in the Prosecution Council of Kosovo. As you know, despite the positive opinions from the Venice Commission, and its drafting in accordance with the best international standards, the Constitutional Court declared the Law on the KPK invalid.
However, after a consultative process with all actors, including civil society and our partners, today we will also consider the amended bill for the Prosecutorial Council, in accordance with the Court’s Judgment. The draft law, with the changes foreseen, will implement the reform in the Prosecutorial Council. This aims to eliminate interest groups and corporatization within the Prosecutorial Council, to eliminate political and other influences in the system, as well as to fulfill the constitutional mandate of the Prosecutorial Council.
So, we have been delayed a bit, but we have not been distracted at all. With the new draft law that we will present to the Assembly today, we are continuing our path towards justice reforms. With the same conviction, and with even greater will.
Thank you.
Last modified: July 12, 2023