Major steps toward the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM) were taken at the separate meetings that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti recently had with European Union (EU) representatives in Brussels. Nova learned that both parties accepted the draft CSM statute, and that efforts are now being made to define a form that will satisfy both Belgrade and Pristina.

The portal’s sources said that, in addition to Kurti agreeing to establish the CMS, Vucic also accepted the draft and the dynamic of the implementation of the Ohrid agreement, but requested that it be signed only after December 17, which is the election day in Serbia.

Following the separate meetings in Brussels it seemed that the two sides are not even close to any kind of agreement. While the Serbian President claimed that Kosovo’s membership in the UN is unacceptable to Serbia, the information coming from Pristina was that Vucic was the one who refused to sign the agreement proposed by Brussels.

Five days later, when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in the Serbian capital, she said that progress had been made after all. Addressing a media conference, Von der Leyen explained that Belgrade is asked to accept the agreement proposed by the European Union (EU), while Pristina must form the CSM.

“This is absolutely crucial for both to engage and to go the path of normalization. In this respect, it is important that Serbia should endorse the statute of the Association/Community. Kosovo has to implement this statute and, in addition, it is essential that Serbia begins the implementation of the existing agreements and does not lose time on this,” she said.

According to Nova’s source, the European Commission President made this request based on the outcome of the (separate) meetings that Vucic and Kurti had with EU representatives.

“Kurti accepted the formation of the CSM and the statute that has been drafted. The draft statute was accepted by both sides and efforts are now being made to define a form that will “seal” the agreement. The statute provides for a full Kosovo framework, except for in the fields of education, health and the part that refers to transparency in budget financing from Serbia,” explained the source from the diplomatic circles.

The name will probably also be changed, the source added.

“It most likely won’t be called the Community of Serb Municipalities, and there is a chance that some other, Albanian-majority municipalities, be included in that ‘association’. The talk about some executive functions of that body, something like Republika Srpska has in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that doesn’t stand and it definitely won’t happen,” said the source.

Kurti again has unrealistic demands, Vucic delays signing due to elections

According to Nova’s source, despite the progress made, the fact that, at the meeting with Vucic and EU representatives, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti requested a formal signing of the agreement indicates that problems still exist.
On the other hand, the Serbian President stressed that a possible signing could take place only after the December 17 elections in Serbia.

“That’s where Kurti’s request for membership in the EU and NATO came from, he asked that the five member states that have not recognized Kosovo do so. Vucic accepted the draft and the dynamic of the Ohrid agreement implementation, but without signing anything, which does not mean that there will be no signature. The course of the negotiations was significantly influenced by the fact that two models of agreement were proposed: One that would include a detailed statement from both parties and would carry the same weight as the signatures, and the other that would include separate agreements between the two parties with the European Union. Vucic accepted everything, including the signing of the agreement, but not with Kurti on the same document. Also, he emphasized that a signature could follow only after the elections in Serbia and suggested, among other things, that the French President visit Belgrade in the next month and a half, which coincides with the election campaign,” said the source.