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By:
Augustin Palokaj, Valbona Bytyqi and Profit Gas
- September 13, 2024 19:54
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Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi has described as false information the media reports in Serbia that he has rejected the tripartite meeting in Brussels, because he was asked to negotiate for the bridge and the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority. While Bislimi has said that Kosovo has accepted a tripartite agreement, according to the agenda set by the mediator, Miroslav Lajçak, his office has not declared about this issue. Well, the sources of KOŠA in Brussels have said that they do not rule out the possibility of a tripartite meeting, provided that by the day of the meeting the parties agree on the items that should be on the agenda.
In the European Union, they have expressed the expectation that on Tuesday, September 17, meetings will take place in Brussels within the framework of the dialogue at the level of the chief negotiators, despite all the statements that were made in Belgrade and Pristina.
Contradictory statements were given on Friday in Kosovo and Serbia regarding the meeting of the chief negotiators, warned by the mediator of the dialogue, Miroslav Lajçak. After reports in the Serbian media that the Kosovar side has rejected the meeting, due to disagreements to discuss the central bridge in Mitrovica and the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi has said that Serbia has rejected the meeting with the agenda. designated by the EU emissary. According to Bislim, Serbia has tried to impose agenda items "intended for internal political consumption".
"For the future talks of the dialogue process in Brussels, set for September 17, the Republic of Kosovo has accepted a tripartite agreement according to the agenda, determined by the mediator. Unfortunately, Serbia rejected such an agreement, trying to impose agenda items intended mainly for domestic political consumption. I invite the EU Special Representative (EUSR) Lajçak to deny the intentional disinformation from the Serbian media, which falsely states that Kosovo has rejected the tripartite meeting of the chief negotiators", Bislimi wrote on the "X" platform.
The Serbian news agency "Tanjug" has reported on Friday that Serbia has requested that the issue of the Ibri Bridge and the formation of the Association be included in the discussion, but that, according to them, Bislimi has refused.
Lajcak's office did not offer any clarifications on Friday regarding the topics, participants and format of the discussions that will take place.
But TIME sources in Brussels have confirmed that there have been attempts by both sides to influence the agenda of the meetings and that both official Pristina and Belgrade have rejected each other's proposals. Sources have said that this is not the first time that the parties disagree on each other's proposals, about what should be on the agenda and what should not.
"Therefore, taking into account all these positions expressed, it may happen that on Tuesday, September 17, there will be only bilateral meetings between the negotiators of both sides and the representative of the EU Miroslav Lajcak, but no tripartite meetings" , the sources of TIME in the EU have said.
Even if this happens, it will not be the first time, because it has often happened that, within the framework of the dialogue, the parties travel to Brussels, but do not agree to have joint meetings.
However, in the EU, at this moment, they do not rule out the possibility of having a tripartite meeting if the parties agree on the items that should be on the agenda by the day of the meeting.
On September 6, Lajçak visited Kosovo, from where he announced that "agreement for the next meeting" had been reached - but he did not provide any other details. Then, on September 10, the Slovak diplomat also visited Serbia "for the preparation for the next meeting at the level of chief negotiators". Regarding the Ibri bridge, they said that they are not against the opening, but this issue should be discussed within the dialogue.
As for the opening of the Bridge in Iber, the QUINT countries have not changed their position, they have asked for negotiations for it in Brussels.
In a response to TIME from the German embassy in Pristina, it was announced on Friday that this position has been communicated continuously and that all actors are familiar with it.
"The position of the embassies of the QUINT countries has been constantly communicated and is known to all actors. There is no change in this position", said Christian Boettcher from the Office for Communication at the German Embassy.
Representatives of the QUINT countries have consistently stated that they are against changing the status of the Ibri Bridge. According to them, this issue should be resolved within the dialogue with Serbia.
On Tuesday of this week, during a visit to the north, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that for the opening of the bridge they are waiting for the coordination of the QUINT countries with KFOR.
"We are ready. With consultations and coordination. We are waiting for QUINT and KFOR. We are constantly in coordination with them. We have done preparations and work regarding the cleaning of the environment around there and the assessment of the durability of the Bridge in the technical and physical aspect", said Kurti.
A few hours after Kurti's statement about the opening of the Bridge, the NATO mission in Kosovo - KFOR - has reiterated that the decision to open the central Bridge in Mitrovica should be taken in dialogue.
"On the issue of the possible opening of the Iber River Bridge in Mitrovica for vehicles, our position has been transparent and consistent all along. Any decision in this direction must be taken through dialogue and in timely and effective coordination with the international community", says the statement of the KFOR spokesman, Salvatore Mascoli.
The opening of the Ibri Bridge has been announced several months ago by the Government of Kosovo. Tests were also carried out on it, which confirmed that it is also stable for the passage of vehicles.
In addition to the refusal of the Government of Kosovo to negotiate about the bridge, the EU has also been warned by Serbia in several cases that it will not implement those points of the agreement, which confirm Kosovo's citizenship, such as UN membership.
As for the basic agreement, the implementation of which has stalled, Lajçak reminded the parties of their obligations and added that there is no backing down from the commitments undertaken.
Asked in Pristina about the letter of the former prime minister of Serbia, Ana Bërnabiq, sent to the EU, in which she wrote that Serbia does not implement those points that confirm Kosovo's citizenship, Lajcak stated that this document has been withdrawn. They have not agreed to comment on this in the EU, as the former Prime Minister and current Speaker of the Assembly of Serbia, Bërnabić, in an interview for "Euronews Serbia", said that "I don't know why Lajcak said this".
"I have not spoken to him, but I know what the truth is and we will hear it when the time is right for the state and our interests", she said, adding that "now is not the time".
