"Kosovo made concession to Serbia”

Pristina-based Albanian language daily Koha Ditore Editor in Chief Agron Bajrami says the agreement on representation represents "a concession made by Kosovo". He added that the concession would allow Serbia to become candidate for EU membership. "Kosovo made concession to Serbia” Bajrami believes that benefits for Kosovo are few and vague. According to him, Kosovo should get something that would allow it to start the association and stabilization negotiations with the EU. “This, however, is uncertain since everything depends on the will of 27 EU member states, five of which still has not recognized Kosovo as an independent state,” Bajrami noted. He believes that the agreement itself is unjust because it legitimizes the Serbian stance that it does not recognize Kosovo and enables questioning of Pristina’s stance that Kosovo is an independent country. “The only compromise that would, in my opinion, be right and fair and which the Kosovo side should have insisted on, is that there are two footnotes, one under Kosovo’s name and the other under Serbia’s name,” Bajrami said. He repeated that Pristina officials and opposition had already voiced their negative opinions about the agreement and that he would therefore not be surprised if tensions broke out between the government and the opposition and within the ruling coalition. The Koha Ditore editor in chief also assessed that the agreement represented a failure for Belgrade in the long run. “Belgrade is already losing by failing to face an unavoidable truth that Serbia can only become an EU member once it has admitted that Kosovo is not a part of Serbia,” he stated. “Unfortunately, Western officials have decided to postpone it, which will additionally complicate things,” Bajrami believes. He said that he expected the situation in northern Kosovo to start changing which could be a “prelude for the next historic agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, the one about northern Kosovo”. Tanjug

"Kosovo made concession to Serbia”

Bajrami believes that benefits for Kosovo are few and vague.

According to him, Kosovo should get something that would allow it to start the association and stabilization negotiations with the EU.

“This, however, is uncertain since everything depends on the will of 27 EU member states, five of which still has not recognized Kosovo as an independent state,” Bajrami noted.

He believes that the agreement itself is unjust because it legitimizes the Serbian stance that it does not recognize Kosovo and enables questioning of Priština’s stance that Kosovo is an independent country.

“The only compromise that would, in my opinion, be right and fair and which the Kosovo side should have insisted on, is that there are two footnotes, one under Kosovo’s name and the other under Serbia’s name,” Bajrami said.

He repeated that Priština officials and opposition had already voiced their negative opinions about the agreement and that he would therefore not be surprised if tensions broke out between the government and the opposition and within the ruling coalition.

The Koha Ditore editor in chief also assessed that the agreement represented a failure for Belgrade in the long run.

“Belgrade is already losing by failing to face an unavoidable truth that Serbia can only become an EU member once it has admitted that Kosovo is not a part of Serbia,” he stated.

“Unfortunately, Western officials have decided to postpone it, which will additionally complicate things,” Bajrami believes.

He said that he expected the situation in northern Kosovo to start changing which could be a “prelude for the next historic agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, the one about northern Kosovo”.