Hoti: By signing the agreements, both sides expressed willingness to implement them, but in reality, there was no will

Afrim Hoti, professor of international relations at the University of Pristina, speaking on the 12th anniversary of the signing of the Brussels Agreement, which envisioned the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, says that by signing the agreement in 2013, and again in 2015, and reaffirming it with the Ohrid Agreement, both Belgrade and Pristina expressed willingness to implement it. However, in reality, there was a lack of willingness on both sides to apply the provisions arising from those agreements.

“Kosovo's institutions did not establish the Community of Serb Municipalities, while the Serbian side organized campaigns against the recognition of Kosovo and undertook other actions. It seems that steps taken by one side were used by the other as justification for not implementing the agreement. In my opinion, this is the main reason why we are where we are today and why there has been no real implementation of the agreement,” Hoti told Kosovo Online.

In his view, the European Union has taken this situation as a lesson to prevent it from repeating, and he believes that the new institutions in Brussels will now move toward genuine implementation of the agreement.

Speaking about the attitude of Kosovo society toward the formation of the CSM, as some analysts argue that the Self-Determination movement has turned it into a “monster,” Hoti says there is general agreement within society on establishing the CSSM.

“Kosovo leaders, including the current prime minister, have given their consent to the agreement, which includes the Community of Serb Municipalities. In that regard, Kosovo society also agrees with the implementation and creation of such an entity, because all sides, including the leadership of Self-Determination, have given their approval for it,” Hoti states.