“Grand finale” of the Priština – Belgrade dialogue includes three scenarios, neither of which is acceptable to both sides, a study by two organisations from the Kosovo capital carried by Koha ditore daily has said on Tuesday (April 10).
The three synopsis outlined by the Institute for development and European issues (RIDEA) and the Investigative group for Balkans politics (BPRG) include: the continuation of the current status quo, signing of an all-out agreement on normalisation of the relations with mutual recognition as a result, or full normalisation of relations including mutual recognition with a border agreement based on pro quo principle, i.e. the exchange of territories.
That idea would include territories within central Serbia with the majority Albanian population bordering Kosovo and Serb populated northern chunks of Kosovo. Koha ditore said that Serbia favoured the third solution, while Kosovo authorises considered it dangerous for the regional stability.
The participants in the study – politicians, experts, NGOs activists, diplomats – do not see the status quo option as a solution of any kind.
Earlier, US professor Edward Joseph told the Voice of America (VOA) that the Belgrade – Pristina dialogue did not work and that his and his government’s stand as of Kosovo was that a frozen conflict was not a solution but rather a trigger for new incidents.
Kosovo President Hashim Tachi agreed that status quo could not last for ever. In an obvious reference to internal political disagreements in Kosovo, he added that “reaching legally binding agreement is in the national interest” and “everyone should stay united” in that respect.
Speaking about other scenarios, he said that the “correction of borders is too risky”.
Thaci also said that Brussels was running out of patience “regarding the unfinished dialogue” between Pristina and Belgrade, since there were no “precise deadlines, no clear ideas of what the agreement should cover and no clear international mechanisms” for the implementation.
Unlike Tachi, who says that both the EU and the USA “should guarantee not only the signing of the grand final agreement but also its implementation and international verification”, Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj remains sceptical about the EU role and criticizes Brussels for lack of will to secure the solution in Belgrade – Pristina contest.
“If Brussels does not want to end the process or to seek help, than let us do it ourselves as we have done in the past and we will finish the job,” Haradinaj said.
Source: http://rs.n1info.com/English/NEWS/a378654/Future-Kosovo-in-three-scenarios.html
