Celic: I don't think there will be a dialogue about property, it is not in Pristina's interest

Dusko Celic, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of North Mitrovica, does not believe that the issue of property in Kosovo can be brought to the agenda of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, as he views the Brussels negotiating framework as designed to suit Pristina, and as a result, no issue favorable to Belgrade can be put forward for dialogue.

According to Celic, the Brussels negotiating framework is largely outside the scope of UN Resolution 1244, as both sides are, conditionally speaking, treated as equals.

"The nomination of issues to be discussed can only be done with the mutual consent of both parties. Therefore, I don't believe that, within such a negotiating framework, any issue favorable to Belgrade or to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija can be put forward, including the issue of property in Kosovo and Metohija," Celic stated.

He reminds that in 2008, through the Ahtisaari Plan, Pristina committed to passing a law on restitution, specifically the return of confiscated property after 1945, but has ignored this obligation as if it doesn't exist.

"In the meantime, Pristina has developed a series of quasi-institutional and quasi-systemic measures through which it seizes both private Serbian property and what is known as social property and state property of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. I fear that Pristina's administration, along with Albin Kurti, has a lot of leeway to act, and that the West tolerates such behavior for various reasons. I am also concerned about the potential abuse and the fabrication of 'reasons' to seize buildings that are state property of the Republic of Serbia, the former FRY, or socially owned, and that these properties will be artificially repurposed," Celic said.

He adds that Albin Kurti would likely attempt to do this by expanding the range of institutional pressure on Serbs, particularly in northern Kosovo, as well as in other municipalities where Serbs are the majority, completely disregarding the will of the population, its needs, rights, and established way of life.

"All of this is contrary to the legal framework that Pristina itself has adopted, and it will continue to act this way in the future," Celic concluded.