Drecun: The West's Goal is to Create Conditions for Kosovo's NATO Membership

Milovan Drecun, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Internal Affairs, assessed that Kosovo becoming an associate member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is part of a very strong campaign conducted primarily by leading Western countries to facilitate the affirmation of Kosovo, which, he points out, is in a regressive phase as it has neither new international recognitions nor memberships in other international organizations.

The West, he explains, is now trying wherever there is space to push Pristina into international organizations, in which it itself has a dominant majority, or to enable, as now, some elevation of status.

"Regardless of the fact that this decision does not carry much weight, the transition from observer status to an associate member, because the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is separate from NATO, will only allow Pristina to have stronger contacts with the embassies of member countries. However, this indicates a trend, about what will happen in the coming period," said Drecun for Kosovo Online.

He believes that NATO's primary goal, at this stage of resolving the Kosovo issue, is to create the political and military conditions to start the process of Kosovo's accession, primarily through the Partnership for Peace.

"When you look at everything that is being done, then it is completely clear that this direction is being pursued, even through today's decision, because NATO is creating so-called Kosovo army to NATO standards, which needs to be interoperable with NATO standards. And political conditions are being created through the Franco-German basic agreement where two key points about de facto recognition and membership of so-called Kosovo in international organizations are being imposed," Drecun pointed out.

If Belgrade accepted this, he warns, then it would pave the way for the four NATO member countries that do not recognize Kosovo to reconcile with the opening of the process for Pristina's accession to the Alliance.

According to him, NATO no longer hides its aspirations for Kosovo's accession.

"Thus, these are the conditions being worked on and NATO no longer hides that they consider, at least the vast majority, that so-called Kosovo should be a member of the Alliance. And this is just one of the steps in that campaign conducted by the West," observes Drecun.

He explains that NATO member countries that do not recognize Kosovo have guided their decision-making based on their own interests, primarily because of the danger of facing similar processes in their own territories.

He expressed confidence that these countries will not change their stance, but that other NATO members will try to outmaneuver them politically when it comes to full membership of Kosovo in the Alliance.

"It is certain that there will remain countries that will defend this stance to the end, and what is problematic in my view and what is probably planned in leading Western countries, is to somehow outmaneuver these countries politically when it comes to the possible membership process of so-called Kosovo in NATO. And that is to force Belgrade to de facto recognize Kosovo through this Franco-German basic agreement and not to oppose membership in international organizations. Then there could be room to tell those countries that do not recognize Kosovo 'see, even Belgrade has not officially, i.e., de jure recognized Kosovo, but does not oppose membership in international organizations, so you might not oppose it either without having to recognize them (Kosovo),'" highlighted Drecun.

If events continue to unfold in this direction, Drecun notes, then it will become clear that what happened with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is just one step that should indicate precisely this trend - pushing Kosovo into NATO.

He warns that this elevation of Kosovo's status in the Alliance will have a very negative impact on the Serbian people in Kosovo. However, he assesses that it will also have a negative impact on the dialogue process between Belgrade and Pristina.

"You know, when the West encourages Pristina to continue with the policy they have led over the past few years, then nothing good is written for the Serbian people, nor does it open up space for progress in the dialogue. So, when Kurti introduces unilateral measures that are aimed against the Serbian people, when they prevent the normal life and survival of the Serbian people, when he conducts terror against the Serbian people, when he refuses to reach any solution, any compromise agreement on any issue in the dialogue, when he absolutely refuses to form the ZSO, then as a reward he also gets visa liberalization and an attempt at membership in the Council of Europe. Now here's the elevation of presence in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. All of this certainly encourages Albin Kurti and his regime," Drecun pointed out.

He believes that encouraging Pristina in terms of advancing towards international organizations will have as a direct consequence that Albin Kurti will continue with the terror of the Serbian people.

Drecun, on the other hand, explains that Pristina in NATO as an associate member does not have decision-making rights, but could be consulted when it comes to the security situation in the north of Kosovo.

"Associate members, among them Serbia, do not have decision-making rights, that is, to vote on something. They can participate in some discussions about resolutions, declarations, but without the right to vote. However, they can be consulted on some issues, for example, Pristina could be consulted when it comes to the security situation, say in the north or generally. This opens up space for Pristina to continue presenting unilateral views and interpretations," warns Drecun.