"Political issues in technical dialogue"

Postponement of a decision on Serbia’s candidate status represents a diplomatic way of saying “not now”, Center for New Policy Director Vladimir Todoric says. He told B92 that Germany was the main obstacle and that the country insisted on something Serbia could not agree to, and something that as a political issue could not be solved through the technical dialogue - a symmetrical regional representation of Kosovo. "Political issues in technical dialogue" “The issue of Kosovo’s participation in regional initiatives, conferences and organization is not technical but an issue of Kosovo’s international, legal subjectivity and the way it is represented. To the best of my knowledge, the Serbian side has accepted that Kosovo can sign and vote and decide but the most important thing to them (Pristina) was what the plate in front of a Kosovo representative would say,” Todoric explained. “On the other hand, the acceptance of the condition set up by Germany would have enormous political consequences,” he added. “If we really view this from a fully legal point of view without any political slant, such as ‘let’s sacrifice something for the sake of our children’s future’, therefore strictly legally viewed, these things are very serious, and if Pristina really is symmetrically represented in organizations then all the EU countries that have not recognized Kosovo will say ‘well, we do not want to be greater Serbs since there is an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, and that means no precedent’,” the Center for New Policy director pointed out. He also said that a search for a political culprit responsible for the postponement would follow, adding that the government should avoid it by openly saying what the real limits of the Brussels talks were. Todoric also stressed that political negotiations were necessary in order to solve political issues. “I think that we will not be alone in this because 25 countries have insisted on us getting the candidate status, the European Commission (EC) has recommended it, (EU) Ambassador Vincent Degert himself has said that Serbia deserved the candidate status. Therefore this will be viewed as one country’s decision, literally as a decision of one person running that country,” he stressed. Todoric believes that, aside from Germany’s conditions, the moment for the decision on Serbia’s EU candidate status was not right because the Union was struggling to overcome the eurozone crisis and keep it from falling apart and that a reconstruction of the fiscal policy was its priority.

"Political issues in technical dialogue"

“The issue of Kosovo’s participation in regional initiatives, conferences and organization is not technical but an issue of Kosovo’s international, legal subjectivity and the way it is represented. To the best of my knowledge, the Serbian side has accepted that Kosovo can sign and vote and decide but the most important thing to them (Priština) was what the plate in front of a Kosovo representative would say,” Todorić explained.

“On the other hand, the acceptance of the condition set up by Germany would have enormous political consequences,” he added.

“If we really view this from a fully legal point of view without any political slant, such as ‘let’s sacrifice something for the sake of our children’s future’, therefore strictly legally viewed, these things are very serious, and if Priština really is symmetrically represented in organizations then all the EU countries that have not recognized Kosovo will say ‘well, we do not want to be greater Serbs since there is an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, and that means no precedent’,” the Center for New Policy director pointed out.

He also said that a search for a political culprit responsible for the postponement would follow, adding that the government should avoid it by openly saying what the real limits of the Brussels talks were. Todorić also stressed that political negotiations were necessary in order to solve political issues.

“I think that we will not be alone in this because 25 countries have insisted on us getting the candidate status, the European Commission (EC) has recommended it, (EU) Ambassador Vincent Degert himself has said that Serbia deserved the candidate status. Therefore this will be viewed as one country’s decision, literally as a decision of one person running that country,” he stressed.

Todorić believes that, aside from Germany’s conditions, the moment for the decision on Serbia’s EU candidate status was not right because the Union was struggling to overcome the eurozone crisis and keep it from falling apart and that a reconstruction of the fiscal policy was its priority.