A new round of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is being held on Tuesday in Brussels, just a few days after the Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić in his address to the public, he presented a number of requests from the respondents Pristina, key of which are the calling of local elections in the majority-Serb municipalities in the north of Kosovo, the return of Serbs to the Kosovo Police and the judiciary, and the withdrawal of special Kosovo police forces from the North.
In his address on September 13, Vučić stated that Serbia demands that "everything that has been achieved and achieved in the process of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina under the auspices of the European Union" be implemented, and emphasized that Serbia believes that fulfilling the demands would eliminate "the key consequences of unilateral and uncoordinated action" of the Government of Aljbin Kurti.
Serbia's demands
The first request is to call and hold "free and democratic" local elections in the north of Kosovo, with the participation of the OSCE Mission and the control of the European Union. The return of Serbs to the regional directorate of the Kosovo Police for the North is also being sought, in accordance with the Brussels Agreement.
Urgent, immediate and final formation of the Union of Municipalities with a Serbian majority (ZSO) "without further political shenanigans and games" is also sought.
Serbia also demands the immediate implementation of the guarantees of the European Union and the United States from December 28, 2022 and the immediate release of all political prisoners arrested by the Kosovo police, and the immediate enabling of unhindered payment transactions and postal services in dinars.
Real estate in Pristina
On September 16, the President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, assessed that the return of Serbs to the institutions of Kosovo would be an "unconstitutional move", while the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervala, stated that Vučić aims to continue the "instrumentalization of Serbs" in Kosovo with his demands.
Since in November 2022, Serbian police officers from Belgrade left the Kosovo Police at a moment's notice by demonstratively removing their uniforms, the question arises whether they can be recruited again and how. The reason for this was the compulsion to re-register vehicles from Serbian to "Republic of Kosovo" plates, which has since been implemented.
In response to that question, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo stated to Radio Free Europe (RSE) that it should be asked of the Kosovo Police, while the Kosovo Police briefly replied that it "does not comment on the statements of any person or political entity".
If there are requests for the return of police officers of Serbian nationality, the Prosecutorial Council of Kosovo (KPK) has announced that it will consider them, but the KPK stated in its response to RSE that it has not received any requests from Serbian prosecutors for their return to the prosecutorial system.
The Judicial Council of Kosovo further says that the resignations of judges and administrative staff of the Serbian community will be considered when the council judges that the moment is right and according to the established procedure for such situations.
Possible integration, but not automatic
The former vice-president of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, Kadri Krueziu, told RSE that the reintegration of Serbs into Kosovo's institutions will be possible, but not automatic.
He pointed out that local elections could be called in the municipalities in the north of Kosovo this year, but only if there is a political decision of the Government that would be addressed to the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani.
"Those who quit the police force cannot return. Only in cases where someone is sick or has family problems. Otherwise I can't go back," Krueziu explained.
He added that the situation is different with judges and prosecutors, because their resignations have not been formalized and competent institutions could consider their return.
Astrit Kolaj from the Kosovo Institute of Justice told RFE/RL that Serbian prosecutors and judges could return to their positions by submitting a request to the Prosecutorial and Judicial Council of Kosovo.
He explained that both councils should meet and make decisions on return and that it would be "a kind of goodwill gesture that would show that the Republic of Kosovo is fair and equal for all its citizens."
Kolaj said that police officers cannot return automatically, but that "they have the right to apply to become part of the Kosovo Police if that institution announces a competition."
A new round of negotiations
At the meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, progress in the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement and other issues affecting the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina will be discussed.
Although Belgrade offered and expressed readiness to hold a trilateral meeting with the Pristina side, the head of Pristina's negotiating team, Besnik Bisljimi, refused, reports RTS.
Among the topics proposed by Belgrade to be on the agenda is the question of opening the bridge on the Ibar, and the formation of the Union of Serbian Municipalities.
Source: Radio Free Europe/RTS
