Have new incidents been avoided in Kosovo, and more particularly in the North, which has a Serb majority? We remember that on August 1, incidents broke out between the Kosovo police and the Serb minority. But on Saturday August 27, Serbs and Kosovars arrived in extremis to an agreement on the free movement of their nationals. The risk of new incidents is receding, but relations remain tense between Serbia and its former province with disputed status.
What do we know about the agreement concluded between Serbs and Kosovars? What is it about?
The agreement concerns the free movement Serbs and Kosovars. Since it does not recognize the independence of its former province, Serbia did not recognize Kosovar identity documents. Residents of Kosovo traveling to Serbia were provided with a provisional entry document. The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, wanted to implement the same for the Serbs, which posed a problem for the Serb minority in Kosovo, whose daily life would have been seriously complicated. Well, the agreement reached authorizes Kosovars to travel to Serbia with their identity card, while Kosovo agrees not to introduce a special document for Serbs. This free movement agreement removes the risk of new incidents in northern Kosovo, such as those of August 1, which saw the Kosovar riot police and the Kosovo Serbs face each other, separated by barricades.
Does the agreement put a stop to the incidents you mention?
The problem of free movement has not been completely resolved, since Kosovo is still threatening to ban the circulation of certain vehicles registered in Serbia. But Pristina accepted a two month moratorium. This opens up the possibility of a complementary agreement, in which Josep Borell, the head of European diplomacy, firmly believes. The risk of incidents therefore recedes, but let’s be lucid, only until the next crisis.
What are the reactions to this agreement in the two countries?
First, the agreement is a victory for Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti. He did not need to carry out his threat to restrict the freedom of movement of the Serbs in execution, while the Kosovars obtain an additional right granted by Serbia. Also, the agreement is welcomed in Pristina, including by the opposition, while in Belgrade, the right-wing opposition is critical: Serbia would thus have given in to blackmail, or else, it would have taken a step towards recognition of Kosovo, which is a very strong taboo in Serbia. For the party of the Serbian president, on the other hand, it is a victory, because Aleksandar Vucic has “protected” the Serbs and also intends to “save” the Serbian license plates in Kosovo.
► To listen too : Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia: “We are at an impasse”