Albania’s Prime Minister, Edi Rama, has announced that his country will only align itself with the EU’s position in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina if a new Commission proposal is presented that takes into account the terrorist attack in northern Kosovo on 24 September (see EUROPE 13257/21).
“It is impossible for us to align ourselves with the European Union without seeing a second declaration that addresses the problem of the last few days, when a dramatic development occurred after a police officer of the Republic of Kosovo was killed by a criminal group that had clear orders to terrorise northern Kosovo, and which was followed by the declaration of a day of national mourning in Belgrade”, he said.
Edi Rama felt that the proposal presented to the Kosovar Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, and the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, on 14 September (see EUROPE 13251/4) was not a bad one, but that it needed to be reassessed in the light of recent developments.
“As long as there is no second declaration from the European Union, we will not fall into line. This is the time to condemn loud and clear what has happened in the north of Kosovo”, added Mr Rama.
The last meeting between the Serbian and Kosovar leaders in mid-September proved fruitless. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, had proposed a 13-point solution that should eventually lead to the launch of negotiations on a legally binding agreement on the comprehensive normalisation of relations between the two countries.
Mr Vučić, for whom the priority was the establishment of the Association of Serbian Municipalities in Kosovo, said he was prepared to accept the document proposed by the EU. However, this did not convince Mr Kurti, who refused to make a commitment on this basis. For him, political issues, such as the recognition of respective documents and other national symbols, had to be settled first. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)