TIRANA, March 10 – European Union Representative for Belgrade Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has said in Pristina that the Serbian and Kosovo authorities are expected to agree on a document at their coming meeting in the North Macedonia city of Ohrid on March 18.
Earlier President Aleksandar Vucic told the TV show Ćirilica Serbia will not agree to Kosovo joining NATO, nor will it recognize Kosovo in any way.
The KoSSev news portal said that Lajcak met in Pristina on Thursday with top officials to discuss their views on the implementation of the agreement to normalize Belgrade-Pristina relations proposed by the EU. The portal said that he met with President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and the head of Pristina’s negotiation team Besnik Bislimi.
Lajčak told reporters that the two sides need to agree on the implementation of the agreement to make the document legally binding. “We have to know the steps, time frame or it will be politically but not formally binding. The purpose of my visit was to discuss the implementation of the document with Kurti,” he said and added that he now knows what Kosovo expects.
The EU announced on 27 February that Serbia and Kosovo had agreed to sign a proposal to normalize ties after a meeting between Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
In the meantime Vucic spoke of the upcoming round of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, his meeting with EU Special Representative for the Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak next week as well as of Lajcak’s current meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Ćirilica TV.
“I can hardly imagine any progress being made in that meeting. I am almost positive that Kurti will not be forming the Serbian Municipalities Association. Kurti is being encouraged to continue disregarding previous commitments,” Vucic said.
Regarding the European proposal for the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, Vucic reiterated his negative view of the plan but confirmed that Serbia must remain in the negotiation process.
“I have no intention of signing Serbia’s capitulation. But we need to be aware of the circumstances. There will be no surrender, no capitulation. I have undoubtedly made it clear that Serbia will not agree to Kosovo joining NATO, nor will we recognise Kosovo in any way,” Vucic said.
“Serbia is ready to make many compromises. The Albanians, in my opinion, are not,” he said.
The next round of dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will be held on March 18 in North Macedonia. /Argumentum.al
