The European envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia talks, Miroslav Lajçak, announced on Tuesday a meeting between the chief negotiators of both sides, to discuss the implementation of the agreement on the normalization of relations but also the use of the Serbian dinar, which led to deep disagreements between the authorities in Pristina and Western diplomats.
Mr. Lajçak, who talked for more than two hours with the chief negotiator of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, said that in the February 27 meeting in Brussels in which the issue of the dinar was discussed, answers were found in several issues, but…
“There are some questions that go beyond the mandate of these experts and we have discussed these issues with Mr. Bislimi. Our communication will continue and I plan to organize a new meeting in the coming days at the level of chief negotiators”, said Mr. Lajçak.
In the February 27 meeting in which Serbia was represented by its chief negotiator Petar Petkovic, the Governor of the Central Bank of Kosovo, Ahmet Ismaili, took part from Kosovo. The chief negotiator of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, refused to participate in the meeting, as according to him “the dinar issue is not part of the dialogue”.
A regulation by the Central Bank of Kosovo, according to which the euro is the only currency that can be used for cash payments in Kosovo, prompted an angry reaction from Belgrade, and concerns from Western diplomacy about its impact on the lives of Kosovo Serbs. who continue to be financially supported by Serbia.
Western diplomats have called on the government of Kosovo to suspend the regulation of the Central Bank and to give time to the affected citizens to adapt to the new situation. The United States has criticized Kosovo and warned that the partnership between the two governments has been damaged by its approach to the dinar issue.
Disagreements on this issue coincide with the one year anniversary of the Brussels and Ohrid agreement on the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, which has not yet begun to be implemented.
The Western-backed agreement requires the parties to respect each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as to implement all previously reached agreements.
Mr. Lajcak reiterated today that the agreement is legally binding for both parties.
“This agreement is the best that Kosovo and Serbia could have. I am very sure of that. If there was a better deal, it would have been proposed. Therefore, it is in everyone’s interest to start implementing it. With this agreement, we have answers to the questions of how, what to do and when to do it?. The only issue that remains open is when and I ask: Why wait? This agreement is good and should start to be implemented”, said Mr. Lajçak.
In October of last year, Western diplomats presented a draft charter for the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, calling on the Kosovo government to start work on its implementation and while Belgrade fulfills the obligations leading to the de facto recognition of Kosovo. . They warned both parties that the implementation of the agreement is at the core of their journey towards integration into the European Union./VOA
