Konjufca: The European Union does not have the competence to propose to Kosovo a draft statute for the Association

2024-03-01 19:30:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Konjufca: The European Union does not have the competence to propose to Kosovo a

The Speaker of the Parliament of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca

The speaker of Kosovo's parliament, Glauk Konjufca, said on Friday that the European Union has no competence to propose to Kosovo a draft statute for the Association of Serbian Municipalities, several months after the government received a proposal from top European leaders on the matter.

He made these comments in response to the statements of the previous day by the American ambassador in Pristina, Jeff Hovenier, who called on the government of Kosovo to seek the opinion of the Constitutional Court as soon as possible on the draft statute drawn up by the West for this Association. .

"It is a mistake to think that it is the competence of the European Union to appoint us, and our competence is only to send it to the Constitutional Court. Perhaps Mr. Hovenier meant that Kosovo should propose a draft of the Association... I understood that Kosovo should address the Constitutional Court with a draft, but I do not think that it is the competence of the EU to propose a draft to Kosovo and I don't think that Kosovo should stand ready and send the draft that the EU proposes. I do not agree with this procedure", said Mr. Konjufca.

In October of last year, Western diplomats presented a draft statute for the establishment of the Association, calling on the government of Kosovo to start work on its implementation and while Belgrade fulfills the obligations that lead to the de facto recognition of Kosovo.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said that the proposal envisages that the Constitutional Court will give an assessment of the constitutionality and it is written with care to the letter and the constitutional structure of the country.

He said he was ready to sign the project if Serbia agrees to sign the agreements reached a year ago in Brussels and Ohrid. However, Serbia has affirmed that it will not implement the agreements that lead to the de facto recognition of Kosovo.

The American ambassador called on the government to do its part by sending the draft statute to the Constitutional Court.

"In this way, Kosovo would benefit substantially. There will be an answer if it is constitutional or not, it will be known if there is executive responsibility or not, and we think that only the Court can give that assessment" , said the American ambassador, underlining that this would reflect Kosovo's commitment to fulfill its obligations.

He said that if the Association had been established, concerns regarding the use of the Serbian dinar in Kosovo would not have arisen. 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 Belgrade, but also for the tensions between the parties.

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./ VOA