Any agreement is good, but new provocations towards the Serbs are certain

Milovan Drecun, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Committee for Kosovo and Metohija in the Parliament of Serbia, told Euronews that he agrees with the fact that an agreement was reached in Brussels in the last moment, adding that the decision of Pristina and Kurti regarding license plates was a political maneuver and a way to achieve some other goals. In the same TV show, the editor-in-chief of the Kosovo online portal, Milos Garic, said that the Serbs in Kosovo were aware of all the risks and that new provocations by Kurti were real.

Milovan Drecun points out that given that the situation was such that it threatened to escalate to the level of the use of violence by Pristina institutions against the Serbian people, of course any agreement that prevents such an escalation is extremely good, because peace is preserved.

"Our people in Kosovo and Metohija most need peace and the state of Serbia so that it can fight for its interests in Kosovo and Metohija," Drecun says.

However, Drecun does not see that the agreement reached is the last instance in the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, but it is, he believes, an important basis for the continuation of further talks.

"This, I would say, is a temporary solution because no permanent agreement has been reached regarding license plates, but it is good that now there will be a period when it will be possible to discuss and search for a solution. Let me remind you, in the month of April the mandate of the working group that was formed by Pristina and Belgrade to propose a solution for the license plates ended. However, it was not proposed. When the mandate expired, our side requested etension, Pristina refused it. It was clear that Prishtina wants to use the problem it caused itself with a unilateral decision for the realization of some other goals," Drecun explains.

Drecun notes that Pristina exerted pressure aimed at Belgrade in order for Serbia to change the agenda of the talks in Brussels.
 
"I also said then, the pressure that Pristina exerts by constantly causing problems in the north of Kosovo is actually aimed at getting Belgrade to agree to change the agenda of the talks in Brussels. More precisely, that instead of these talks up to now, they should move on to talk about the so-called mutual recognition", Drecun said.

Milos Garic, editor-in-chief of the Kosovo online portal, says that the Serbs in Kosovo were aware of all the risks they could face, but that they were determined and courageous.

"There was a great danger and an extremely serious possibility of incidents, because we saw that Kurti was so determined to go to the end with this punishment of the Serbs. On the other hand, the Serbs were completely determined and ready not to give up. The Serbs were aware that their security is threatened, but they were ready to stand up and show that they do not agree to oppression," Garic says.

Garic adds that the agreement reached is important, but emphasizes that the Serbs in the north of Kosovo were ready for anything.

"In the end, the Serbs were ready to see to what outcome everything would lead. They were closer to the option of something happening, rather than constantly moving. Certainly, it is important that a peaceful outcome was reached," Garic believes.

Drecun adds that the formation of the CSM should continue to be a key issue and that, in addition to the issue of license plates, should be one of the conditions for the Serbs to return to the institutions, because without them in the West, one cannot talk about multiethnicity in Kosovo.

"On our part, in order to reach a compromise, it was said that we would not issue new license plates, but there were about 90 new license plates remaining, KM plates. Considering that only a few dozen cars were sold in the past years, newly acquired and registered, that would be enough. All this includes that Prishtina will give up on the implementation of these punitive measures and that has been achieved. Now we need to work on achieving a final solution for the license plates. But before that, the CSM must be formed. The key problem now is the exit of the Serbian representatives from the temporary institutions of self-government. It is very burdensome both for Pristina and for its Western mentors. They need to ensure their return. It can only happen if the issue of the plates is resolved. It is now temporarily resolved. They gave up on the implementation of those measures, but they did not withdraw that unilateral decision. And in addition, I repeat, that the CMS be formed. Both conditions need to be resolved in order for the Serbs to return to the institutions. Without them, there is practically no multi-ethnicity in Kosovo. If that does not happen, what kind of progress and democratization those in the West can then speak about," Drecun explains.

Drecun believes that the decision of Pristina and Kurti regarding license plates is a political maneuver and a way to achieve some other goals.

"You say that the plates were agreed at the last minute. I think it is a calculated political maneuver by Albin Kurti in agreement with some Western countries. The same was proposed the day before. He played that card until the last moment. He wants to use the issue of registration plates to move on to talk about the final agreement based on the Franco-German proposal. That's why he was procrastinating," Drecun says.

Drecun believes that Serbia is ready for all kinds of talks regarding the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, but that does not mean that it is ready to recognize the independence of Kosovo.

Garic, on the other hand, believes that Kurti now wants to put the issue of plates on the back burner, and, as he says, push forward the Franco-German proposal. He believes that the provocations in Kosovo aimed at the Serbs will certainly not subside or disappear and adds that regardless of the fact that the Albanian public is divided in a certain way on the issue of the last agreement, he believes that Kurti has a firm position in Pristina.

"The situation in Pristina is divided. Members and supporters of Self-Determination are trying to justify Kurti's move. They are saying what Kurti himself is saying, which is that he is not actually interested in the license plates. That his goal is to discuss in the further dialogue within the framework of the Franco-German proposal and that this is what he insisted on in the conversation with Borrell two or three days ago. Of course, he is trying to hide the tactical defeat he experienced, because he insisted on the license plates. He had to retreat, he pushed to a certain limit. The Americans explained the address for key decisions. Most of the opposition criticizes Kurti for jeopardizing relations with Washington. However, he has a strong position and it seems that he will stay where he is. It is much more important to see what the Serbian side can expect. They cannot expect that they will have an easier situation. There are certain new provocations by Kurti," Garic believes.