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EU: Kosovo endangers the European journey if it does not establish the Association

2024-04-02 14:07:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

EU: Kosovo endangers the European journey if it does not establish the

Illustrative photo

The spokesperson of the European Union (EU), Peter Stano, said on Tuesday that Kosovo must urgently implement the multi-year obligation to establish an Association of Serb-majority municipalities in the country and warned that it will face consequences on its way to the EU. if he fails to do so.

He said that the establishment of the Association is an obligation for Kosovo and "this has been repeated several times by the European Union at the highest level, that of European leaders".

Kosovo and Serbia reached agreement on the Association in 2013 and then in 2015 on the principles for its establishment.

But, in 2015, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo found that the agreement is not in full harmony with the Constitution.

At the end of last year, the international community presented to the parties a draft for the statute that this association would have. The parties, initially, said that they accept it in principle, but have not taken any steps forward.

In an interview for "Radio Free Europe" on March 19, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said that he did not accept this draft statute.

Stano reiterated that the establishment of the Association is related to Kosovo's progress in its aim to become part of the bloc.

"If Kosovo is not able to deliver results in this direction, then it will not be seen as a positive signal that it wants to move on the path towards the normalization of relations [with Serbia], which is now linked to Kosovo's progress on the path towards EU", he added.

The European Union, the United States of America and Great Britain continue to insist that Kosovo is obliged to establish the Association.

Stano emphasized that the issue of establishing the Association is constantly discussed in meetings with the parties.

However, he said that in this week's meeting at the level of the chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia, the main issue will be finding a solution for the banned Serbian dinar in Kosovo.

He said that last week's talks marked progress and that they will continue on Thursday, April 4 in Brussels.

The use of the dinar for cash payments in Kosovo was banned on February 1, when the Central Bank of Kosovo implemented a new regulation that designated the euro as the country's sole official currency.

This issue, apart from angering Serbia, also provoked disagreements between the Government of Kosovo and the international community, since the Serbian community in Kosovo, for years, receives payments in dinars from the budget of Serbia.

Western diplomats asked Kosovo to suspend the regulation, to give time to the affected citizens to adapt to the new practice./ REL