Embassy of Germany in Pristina: Blocking the CSM makes it difficult to support Kosovo in the Council of Europe

The German Embassy in Pristina announced that it was difficult to achieve a majority in the European Council as long as the Government of Kosovo blocks the formation of the CSM, Koha reports.

"Germany and partners have repeatedly emphasized that discussions on the implementation of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities should begin now, with the aim of establishing the Community, according to the relevant Kosovo-Serbia agreement from 2013, which is fully in line with the limits set by the Constitutional Court. Further blocking the establishment of the CSM will not make it easier for Kosovo to achieve the necessary majority to apply for membership in the Council of Europe. It will also represent serious obstacles in the further process of joining the EU. When it comes to technical details, European partners in particular can provide a lot of expertise when it comes to designing appropriate legal approaches. Germany will be happy to support and share its experiences in this area if they wish to do so," the German Embassy's response to Koha states.

From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, since the official submission of the application on May 12, they claim that the necessary majority for membership has been secured.

In addition to Germany, the United States also insisted on the establishment of the CSM. The envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, warned that if actions were not taken from Kosovo, then the international community would take them.

Analyst Visar Ymeri assessed that the Government should be the initiator in actions to implement the Association Agreement.

"If we wait for a document to come to us from abroad, I'm afraid that it may come as a matter of urgency and put us in a position where we can't even change a comma, let alone a part of the text. So it's better to be more proactive and take this process into your own hands," Ymeri said.