Kosovo’s Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and his deputy Enver Hoxhaj said that Pristina should abandon the dialogue with Belgrade under European Union auspices if the EU Council of Ministers fails to include visa liberalisation for Kosovo nationals in its December meeting agenda, the FoNet news agency reported on Friday.
Haradinaj and Hoxhaj said it is not fair to pressure Pristina into taking part in the dialogue with Belgrade while Kosovo’s nationals are deprived of free travel throughout EU’s Schengen passport-free travel area.
“It would be good if (Kosovo) President Hashim Thaci reconsider if he should take part in those meetings, and accept that every plan for our country depends on the mood of our neighbouring country,” Haradinaj said.
Earlier this month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said EU foreign ministers discussed the issue, but that the all criteria had to be met before the liberalisation for Kosovo is approved.
Haradinaj’s statement came hours after last night’s talks between President Thaci and Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, failed to produce any results, making the prospect of future meetings in Brussels anytime soon largely uncertain.
Thaci accused Belgrade of ruining the dialogue by setting ultimatums, while Vucic said Belgrade delegations would not go to Brussels until Pristina withdrew all the illegal decisions it had taken, referring Kosovo authorities’ recent call to raise tariffs on Serbian goods by 10 percent, which is counter to the CEFTA trade agreement.
Although both sides added they wanted the dialogue to continue, it appears that each side in the talks also demands pre-conditions which the other side can hardly agree to.
Before Thursday’s meeting, Thaci and Vucic had met in Brussels in July, and in September they held separate talks with EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, who acts as the mediator in the dialogue.
Thaci and Vucic could meet again in Paris, on Sunday, November 11, during the central ceremony marking the end of World War I which is expected to be attended by around 60 heads of state from Europe and around the world.
The ceremony will be hosted by be the French President Emmanuel Macron, who some speculate might try help Belgrade and Pristina overcome the vast chasm between them.
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