Kosova Democratic Institute (KDI) held today the round table “What do we expect from the new phase of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue” in a discussion of civil society representatives about the future of this process. It was also presented an analysis on “Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue: Challenges and Way Forward”, a paper that provides a summary of the seven-year dialogue process by proposing the principles on which this process should go ahead.

At the opening of the discussion, Ismet Kryeziu, executive director of KDI has emphasized that for the past two years KDI has provided assistance to the Kosovo Assembly on topics related to Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. Kryeziu added that now that the process of dialogue is entering the new phase, which is said to be final, the president and the Speaker of Parliament have emphasized the need for an internal political consensus and the creation of a common platform. “Today, we have gathered here to get the civil society’s perspective on this process, and its future,” he added.

While Jeta Krasniqi, from KDI, presented the analysis and recommendations of KDI. She stressed that the paper brings a summary of the entire dialogue process and identifies all its features.

Shkelzen Maliqi, political analyst, stressed among other things that Ahtisaari’s package should be the red line for Kosovo. “All the problems have come up as a result of trying to overcome this package,” he said. He also stressed that the dialogue had also positive results, important for the lives of citizens such as free movement.

While the publicist, Baton Haxhiu, said that Serbia requires territorial exchange, control of Serbs in Kosovo through the Serbian List as well as reaching a final agreement without mutual recognition. “A matter that is on the table is the normalization without mutual recognition in which Serbia recognizes Kosovo’s jurisdiction but does not formally recognize it, a state model of the two Germanys of 1972,” he announced.

Haxhiu added that Kosovo’s expectations are that such an agreement is enough to open the way for Kosovo to join the UN and it remains unclear what Kosovo will offer as compensation. At the same time he added that the Europeans are seeking autonomy for the northern Serbs with the right to self-determination after 99 years.

Imer Mushkolaj, political analyst, said that the dialogue was not very structured, transparent and was not developed on the principle of reciprocity. He emphasized that we are in a situation where we have reached some agreements and that the result is not entirely negative. “But Kosovo and Serbia have not yet dialogued on important issues ranging from fate of missing persons and war damages, things that are important to be discussed before the final document is signed,” Mushkolaj added.

Dusan Radakovic, executive director of the Center for Advocacy for Democratic Culture (ACDC), said that there is no winner in the dialogue and that this process is a major compromise. He added that the results of the dialogue affect all citizens living in Kosovo and has estimated that there is a need to work in an interethnic dialogue on local issues and problems that could be jointly solved by all sides.

Within the presented analysis KDI has proposed the basic principles for the dialogue platform as follows:

1. Negotiating Team: Building a comprehensive political team to lead Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue talks supported by a team of experts based on topics / areas to be addressed within this process.
2. Political consensus: The process of dialogue requires vigilance and broad political involvement. Political leaders’ discussions on the format, topics of dialogue and the epilogue of this process should therefore be initiated in order to reach a broad political consensus.
3. Transparency: Dialogue should provide transparency for citizens by articulating the agreements reached and the effects that these agreements will have in their lives. Information and consultation meetings with citizens and civil society should be ongoing throughout the process.
4. Role of the Assembly: The Assembly should have its uncontested and active role, giving legitimacy and legality to the Brussels talks. The Assembly should exercise its oversight role over the entire negotiation process including regular reporting by the negotiating team before and after reaching agreements and consulting relevant committees.
5. Topics: Topics to be discussed within the new phase of the dialogue include dealing with the past, succession and disintegration of parallel structures in Kosovo.
6. Reciprocity: The Kosovar side should apply the principle of reciprocity throughout the dialogue process.
7. Red lines: The agreements reached within this process should not affect the state regulation of the unitary state of Kosovo, should not affect its territorial integrity and the representation of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state in the international arena. Ahtisaari’s plan is the only and uncompromising compromise in the dialogue.
8. Epilogue: Recognition of Kosovo by the state of Serbia, membership of Kosovo as a state with equal rights at the UN.
9. UN Membership: The EU should be the sponsor of a new UN-backed US-supported Resolution. This new UN Resolution which opens the door to Kosovo for membership as a state with full rights by depreciating UN Resolution no. 1244.
10. Implementation of Agreements: The new stage of dialogue should avoid past mistakes by clearly defining time limits, implementing mechanisms of agreements, and punitive measures by the EU for parties not implementing them, linking this process with the advancement of the parties to the EU.
11. Lobbying: The state of Kosovo should set up a state lobbying mechanism to support its state dialogue platform with the European and US capitals. This lobbying should continue to reach new recognitions, in particular with the 5 non-recognizing EU states and Kosovo’s membership in international organizations.