The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, on the one-year anniversary of the Basic Agreement reached in Brussels on February 27, has accused Serbia of refusing to sign and implement it.
He gave details, saying that in just one year, all these acts and behaviors proved that Serbia is strongly hindering the advancement on the way to the full normalization of relations and mutual recognition.
“When we should be on the right path of full and unconditional implementation of the Brussels Agreement, we mark one year from the day it was agreed, and Serbia still refuses to sign and therefore implement the agreement. On the contrary, throughout this one-year period, we have been faced with Serbia’s violations, its escalations on the ground, the verbal and official rejection of the agreement and the continuous destructive approach. On February 27 in Brussels, on March 18 in Ohrid, on September 14 in Brussels, on October 26 in Brussels, on February 8 in New York, the signing of the agreement was publicly offered five times, but was rejected. Beyond that, Serbia has violated eight articles of the Basic Agreement, its preamble and articles of the Implementing Annex. After the Brussels and Ohrid agreements, they blackmailed and threatened the Kosovo Serbs not to participate in the local elections in April, a month later they attacked our institutions, KFOR and journalists, kidnapped three police officers inside our territory, attacked the north of our state on September 24, in the act of aggression of Banjska, military troops approached our border and as a clear and open threat declared that they will not recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo, and officially confirmed in writing the rejection of the Brussels Agreement through Prime Minister Brnabić’s letter in December. In just one year, all these acts and behaviors proved that Serbia is strongly hindering the advancement on the path to the full normalization of relations and mutual recognition. Kosovo, for its part, remains constructive and engaged in this journey, in the full, fair and unconditional implementation of the Basic Agreement and the Implementing Annex, through a balanced sequencing plan between the parties. The Brussels Agreement and its Implementing Annex must be implemented as soon as possible. The region needs development and prosperity, harmony and good neighborly relations between all the states of the region”, he wrote.
