Shortly after Kosovo announced that it would submit the draft statute of the municipalities with Serbian majority to the Constitutional Court, the European Union reacted by considering that the Association should be presented in the Brussels dialogue and discussed in the framework of this process.

The EU spokesperson, Peter Stano, stated that the content of this statute has not been discussed with either the EU or Serbia, and it is impossible to assess its compliance with the agreements of 2013 and 2015.

However, Stano further adds that the EU welcomes Pristina’s commitment since no progress had been made towards the establishment of the Association.

“Therefore, it is impossible to assess its compliance with the agreements of 2013 and 2015 at this stage. The EU welcomes Kosovo’s readiness to engage definitively now, as since 2013, unfortunately, Kosovo has not taken any steps towards the establishment of the Association,” said Stano.

A day earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gërvalla, announced that Kosovo would send the draft statute for the Association of municipalities with Serbian majority to the Constitutional Court by the end of May, and this decision had also been communicated to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Rousopoulos.

However, this decision by Kosovo provoked a reaction from Berlin, Rome, and Paris, who sent a ‘firm’ letter to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, through which they made it clear that his direct responsibility remains, non-membership in the Council of Europe, if he does not take serious steps towards implementing the orders on the table of the Quint group for Kosovo.

/k.s/