The US envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, has called “catastrophic” and “incompetent” the decision of the Kosovo authorities to implement the regulation of the Central Bank of Kosovo that defines the euro as the currency for making cash payments.
Thus, the use of the Serbian dinar in municipalities with a Serbian majority in Kosovo has become impossible.
He made these statements in Brussels during an open conversation with journalists.
“We call on the Government of Kosovo to take into account the concerns of the Serbian community and the international mechanism for the treatment of minorities within Kosovo”.
He recalled that it took almost a year for France to adopt the euro, while “in the north of Kosovo they wanted to implement the decision within 3 weeks”.
Escobar has repeated that the United States does not oppose the legitimacy of the decision, but has problems with the way of implementation and the effect it has on the Serbian community, REL writes, KosovaPress transmits.
From March 10 to March 18, Escobar will hold a number of meetings in Belgium, Kosovo, Austria and Montenegro.
Escobar is expected to start meetings in Prishtina on March 13.
He said that during the visit to Prishtina, he will focus on a “possible solution for the uncoordinated decision to stop the dinar as well as for transfers from Serbia to the citizens of Kosovo, who depend on them”.
Serbia declares that it allocates millions of euros to Serbs in Kosovo and pays them salaries, pensions and additional aid.
‘Problems in communication’ with Kurti
Escobar has admitted that there is a rift in diplomatic communications between the US and Kosovo.
“The partnership between the United States and Kosovo, between the American people and the people of Kosovo, does not penetrate through a person in Kosovo, or a party. However, I must say that we currently have problems in communication with the Prime Minister [of Kosovo, Albin Kurti]. And not only the USA, it is a problem that Kosovo also has with the EU, NATO, the United Kingdom and more partners, including Albania and North Macedonia”.
He said that the communication with Kosovo has been very good in the past and he hopes that the same situation will be in the future.
Asked why he is not visiting North Macedonia as well, he said that the situation in Kosovo is “terrible, that’s why I have to visit Kosovo”.
The dialogue is at a ‘critical moment’
Escobar has considered the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia – started as early as 2011, with the mediation of the European Union – to be “at a critical moment”.
He has admitted that Washington has problems in directing the Brussels and Ohrid agreements “on the right track”, and that according to the American perspective, “there is no alternative but dialogue”.
Asked about the possible consequences for Kosovo and Serbia for non-implementation of the Ohrid Agreement, Escobar mentioned the slowdown in the path of European integration.
In February 2023, Kosovo and Serbia have reached an agreement with the aim of normalizing relations between the two countries. In March of that year in Ohrid, an agreement was also reached on the annex to the implementation of the basic agreement. /REL
