O'Brien: Pristina to send the CSM draft to the Constitutional Court

Without the implementation of the obligations from the Brussels Agreement from last year and the Ohrid annex, there will be no economic progress in Serbia or Kosovo, said the US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Asia, James O'Brien, emphasizing that from Pristina, regardless of who was on authorities, expects to send the CSM draft to the Constitutional Court.

"I want Kosovo and Serbia to fully implement the agreed obligations. The economic growth of both countries can be achieved if the basic agreement and the Ohrid annex are implemented. That is the only way to move forward," said O'Brien in an interview with Gazeta 10.

On the contrary, he warns, if dialogue stagnates further, both sides will lose their opportunities for development.

Speaking about the CSM, he emphasizes that Pristina should send the draft to the Constitutional Court.

O'Brien explains that there are mechanisms like CSM everywhere in Europe and that they serve for similar municipalities to exchange experiences and discuss how to deal with problems.

"Sending the CSM draft to the Constitutional Court is a basic commitment. We expect it not only from Prime Minister Kurti, but also from other prime ministers, so we also expect this from Kosovo. The association is very common in Europe, as far as we know, there are more than 400 such associations across Europe. Associations do not create a government or some other layer, but it is a mechanism for coordination, as we see in northern Italy or in the islands of Sweden or in Belgium," said O'Brien in an interview with Gazeta 10.

He expressed disappointment at the length of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

As he says, the USA fully supports that process, as well as the European integration of the Western Balkans into the EU.

"We want both countries and all countries in the region to move towards the EU as quickly as possible. We want the borders to remain open for companies to work together in the export of goods, for people to work and live in another country without problems. We want Kosovo to take advantage of this opportunity because sometimes you have an opportunity and if you don't take it, you won't have it for long," O'Brien pointed out.

When asked if he received a positive signal regarding the dialogue during the meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, O'Brien said that Kurti understands the position Kosovo is in.

"Kurti understands that this is a unique moment, because we have all these transitions that are happening. The European Union will have a new commissioner, that is, new staff, who will oversee the process of integration into the European Union. We also have elections in the USA, we know that we will have transition," O'Brien said.

Speaking about the relations between Kosovo and the USA, he emphasized that Pristina and Washington are partners and that it is normal to sometimes have disagreements with the Government of Kosovo.

"That happens between friends," he stated.

However, he added that he wants to see more discussions and coordination between the Government of Kosovo and the USA.

"We have disagreements from time to time, but that happens between friends. We want to have more coordination when actions are taken in the north, especially when those actions may involve NATO troops within KFOR. We want to have more discussions before any action is taken." what action," said the US assistant secretary of state.

He noted that at the meeting with Kurti, which lasted several hours, the economic progress of Kosovo was also discussed.

"The Western Balkans has golden opportunities to integrate its economy, but also to join the European single market, which goes along with the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which offers opportunities to trade energy, goods and services across Europe. This is an engine that dramatically drives the growth of the economy, so I'm very glad that Kosovo has become part of this community," said O'Brien.

He said that he also discussed Kosovo's European path with Kurti.

He noted that Kosovo is working on the integration of the north, and proposed to consider all options and steps that can be taken to make the process successful and for the benefit of the citizens.

"We talked about how to move faster towards Europe. We know that progress is being made in the integration of citizens in the north, especially the Serbian community, so we talked about different approaches that can be taken," he said.

Speaking about the events of last year in Banjska, he pointed out that the security situation is much better now.

"After Banjska, Serbia took steps to withdraw its violent elements, which influenced the improvement of the situation. It is important that the Kosovo government shows confidence in the citizens in the north who have a future here as individuals and as members of the Serbian community. What we see is that the Serbian state took actions to reduce the likelihood of violence, and this is very important for us," he said.