Rohde: The Decision on CEFTA shows that a compromise beneficial to all is possible

The German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, stated that today’s agreement on Kosovo's representation within CEFTA shows that a compromise is possible for the benefit of all, as reported by RTK.

"For the last 15 months, we have been trying to convince all interested parties to ‘unlock’ some decisions that had been pending in CEFTA, and today is the day those decisions were ‘unlocked.’ Serbia demanded that Kosovo respond or change the security measures that ultimately resulted in trade restrictions, while Germany supported this change in the status quo. For the past 15 years, Kosovo was represented by UNMIK, and we wanted to change that,” said the German diplomat in an interview for RTK.

According to him, today’s day shows that a compromise is possible for the benefit of all.

“And it’s not just this change in the status quo so that Kosovo represents itself, but we have also seen public reactions from the international community, numerous experts, and we have already increased the free flow of goods. That’s good news, and as of today, 11 decisions have already been unblocked,” he said.

The German diplomat hopes that this spirit of compromise will continue to prevail in future decisions.

“Kosovo is represented with a footnote. It’s not the best position for Kosovo at the moment, but it is an important step from UNMIK to the asterisk. The ultimate goal is for Germany to support and recognize this. We want Kosovo to be represented in every international organization,” said Rohde.

The German ambassador said that Kosovo has taken a big step today, and it is actually a good day for the whole region, as the 11 measures adopted today and other decisions that will follow will advance regional integration worldwide.

“So, face your neighbor, it’s natural. I know the previous situation between Kosovo and Serbia, but we are trying to minimize conflicts and increase cooperation, and today is such a day,” he said.

Regarding the possibility of removing the footnote and Kosovo being represented without it, the German diplomat said that if such a possibility exists, there are two sides – Kosovo and Serbia – and this was a compromise that could be achieved.

“I think considering the current situation, this is a good compromise,” Rohde said.

The German diplomat said that a lot of work was done to achieve this compromise and that it shows progress is possible.

“It’s not a big step, but it’s a compromise that will make life easier for all parties in business, such as the decision to facilitate e-commerce, the delivery of services, and so on. It may sound technical, but in one word, it is a very big step,” Rohde said.