Kosovo Albanian leadership confronts EU authorities
The president and prime minister of Kosovo have walked out of talks with EU representatives in the first serious bilateral rift since the ethnic Albanians declared Kosovo's unilateral secession last year.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, August 28, 2009
The talks in Pristina on Thursday were designed to soothe ethnic Albanian fears over a new police co-operation agreement between the Serbian interior ministry and the EU's police mission to Kosovo, Eulex.
The co-operation protocol will help Serb and EU police share information on cross-border organised crime and is a pre-condition for Serbia to obtain visa free travel to the EU in 2010.
But Kosovo Albanians leaders said that Eulex' direct dealing with Serbia undermines its attempt to establish a sovereign state.
"The Kosovo leaders reiterated in the meeting their firm position against the protocol and emphasised that from today any debate and discussion on this issue is completely closed.
Kosovo does not take any obligation and responsibility for issues which it has not decided in a sovereign way," the office of Kosovo president Fatmir Sejdiu said.
The statement came after Sejdiu and Kosovo prime minister Hashim Thaci abruptly ended their meeting with Eulex chief Yves de Kermabon and the EU's civilian representative to Kosovo, Pieter Feith.
EULEX said it was now waiting for instructions from Brussels over the deadlock. The EU mission said: "We have taken note of the communication from the prime minister and the president on the meeting held today between the Government and the EU Special
Representative, Pieter Feith, and the head of the EULEX mission, Yves de Kermabon. They will report the outcome of the meeting to Brussels. We will inform you as soon as the EU has taken a view on it."
The police protocol has stoked wider anger in the majority ethnic Albanian population in Kosovo.
On Tuesday, the ethnic Albanian Vetevendosja ("self-determination") movement smashed 28 EU vehicles in events leading to 21 arrests. The group is planning further, large-scale demonstrations.
Serbia's minister for Kosovo, Goran Bogdanovic, meanwhile, said the document was confirming Serbia's sovereignty in Kosovo.
"With this document, the EU is confirming Serbia's integrity even on the areas that our country does not have full control over," he said.
