UPDATE - Serbia-Kosovo Meeting In Berlin Unlikely To Boost Crisis Settlement - Serbian Opposition

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2019) The upcoming meeting between Serbian and Kosovar leadership in the German capital of Berlin is unlikely to promote any progress in the long-existing crisis in the Serbian-Kosovar relations, Branka Stamenkovic, the president of the opposition Serbian Enough is Enough (DJB) political movement, suggested in her comment to Sputnik.

On Monday, the leader of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, and Kosovar Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj will hold a meeting in Berlin with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. The meeting was initiated by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. Both Vucic and Thaci have already said that they expect no specific results to be reached at the meeting.

"Brussels agreement [on normalizing Serbian-Kosovar relations] was signed six years ago. Setting aside the question of whether this agreement should have been signed at all, the fact is that Belgrade did fulfill all of its obligations from this agreement, while Pristina did not fulfill any of its obligations. Therefore, this agreement is null and void, and this should be clearly stated in Berlin. It is astonishing that Merkel and Macron do not see that, and that Serbian government does not take a stronger position on this issue," Stamenkovic said.

Vucic said on April 10 that Belgrade would be ready to engage in negotiations with Pristina only when its 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods, introduced in November 2018 as a response to Belgrade's blocking of Kosovo becoming a member of Interpol, were abolished. When asked if she believed that the meeting could result in sanctions removal, Stamenkovic was skeptical.

"This import tariff is contrary to all of the signed regional agreements, as well as contrary to common sense. Serbia did not respond to this with similar measures. If Merkel and Macron really want illegal tariffs to be lifted, they would already be lifted. It is obvious they are playing a game with them," Stamenkovic said.

The DJB leader added that if Pristina did not lift the tariffs, Serbia should "respond with strong measures."

According to Stamenkovic, Serbia should put forward five conditions for resumption of EU-mediated peace talks with Kosovo.

These conditions should include the establishment of the Association of Serbian Municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija, which was initiated by the European Union and Pristina in 2013, but still was not achieved; the lifting of import tariff and compensation for damages; the return of the Trepсa Mines industrial complex to its Serbian shareholders; the annulment of law about transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into a full-fledged army; and resolving the case of murder of Serbian politician Oliver Ivanovic in January 2018 in Kosovo.

"In parallel with all this, Serbia should adopt a Law on Kosovo and Metohija. Serbian's constitution mandated this law be adopted 13 years ago. All Serbian governments are in violation of the constitution since then. Enough is Enough proposed a law ... modeled after Denmark's law on Faroe Islands, [which] would resolve all the practical issues, giving Pristina the widest possible autonomy," Stamenkovic stated further.

Yugoslav Kipriyanovich, a member of presidency of the opposition Serbian Dveri Party, echoed Stamenkovic's stand on the unlikely fruitfulness of the upcoming meeting.

"I do not expect any progress, because there cannot be progress under EU-mediated negotiations. First of all, Mr. Vucic doesn't have mandate to negotiate given by the Serbian parliament. Everything that happens in Berlin is [in] conflict with the constitution of the Republic of Serbia," Kipriyanovich told Sputnik.

He voiced the belief that neither the situation around import tariffs, nor around the Kosovar Army would be resolved.

"We don't have war in Kosovo, so there are no peace negotiations. There should be a process for the normalization between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians, but under UN SC [Security Council] resolution 1244 and under the constitution of Serbia. Any alternative negotiating framework is against the international law proclaimed as a result of the Yalta Conference. Every participant in Berlin should know that," Kipriyanovich explained.

Kosovo unilaterally proclaimed independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. The self-proclaimed republic is recognized by over 100 UN member states. Serbia, as well as Russia, China, Israel, Iran, Spain, Greece and a number of other countries have not recognized Kosovar independence.

In 2011, Serbia, under the pressure of Brussels, started negotiations on the normalization of relations with Kosovar Albanians with the mediation of the European Union. The dialogue is currently suspended.