Andric Rakic: If Pristina continues to refuse talks, Kosovo will be discussed more often in the Security Council

Milica Andric Rakic, Program Manager of the NGO Social Initiative, speaking about what will be the topic of the next round of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina – abolishing the dinar or continuing discussions on the proposed draft statute of the Community of Serb Municipalities, says that these are essentially closely related topics, although she believes Kosovo wants to treat them differently.

"One way to resolve the dinar issue without serious consequences for the Serbian and other communities in Kosovo, which depend on the Serbian budget, is to form the Community of Serb Municipalities. The point is to establish an institution recognized by both Serbia and Kosovo, through which Serbia can continue financing unhindered, thereby solving the financing problem of Serbian communities in Kosovo from Serbia. So, these are not necessarily separate issues, although I believe Kosovo wants to treat them differently. I assume the calculation of the government in Pristina was that by abolishing the dinar, they could abolish Serbian institutions in Kosovo without forming the CSM and without transforming them into the CSM," Andric Rakic says.

She adds that there are no announcements yet that Pristina is ready to discuss this in dialogue.

"We heard that Albin Kurti said he went to Brussels only to sign an agreement and that he was called only when there was something to be signed. It is possible that, for example, Besnik Bislimi will go, and at that level between Bislimi and Petar Petkovic, little can actually be resolved, in fact, nothing has been resolved at that level in the last two years. But it is true that if Pristina continues to reject these meetings, discussions about Kosovo will be more frequently held in the Security Council, for which I assume they will at some point make the calculation that it is not politically convenient for Kosovo's interests," Andric Rakic emphasizes.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said last week in Munich that he expected an invitation to Brussels "in the coming days," but European Commission spokesman Peter Stano meanwhile stated that the EU "has nothing on the basis of which it could announce high-level dialogue."

Kosovo's Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi said yesterday that he had received an invitation from Brussels for a meeting regarding the new regulation of the Central Bank of Kosovo on the dinar but that he had refused to participate. According to him, this is not a meeting that the chief negotiator should attend, "because the issue of the dinar is not part of the dialogue," and he will see who will go.