Stano: The CSM is a priority insisted upon by the EU and the US

The EU spokesperson Peter Stano stated for Teve1 that the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities was a legal obligation for Kosovo, which Pristina itself had accepted. Therefore, the EU, along with the US, emphasizes that it is a priority and must be implemented. He also stated that a high-level meeting between Kosovo and Serbia was being prepared, but there was still no date.

"We have been saying for a long time that the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities is a legal obligation for Kosovo, an obligation that Kosovo itself has accepted. The European Union, together with the US, states that this is a priority and must be implemented in accordance with Kosovo's commitment," Stano said.

He mentioned the disappointment of the EU with Kosovo for not delivering the draft of the CSM Statute, prompting the EU to prepare it.

He added that the CSM did not imply "any form of autonomy for the northern part of Kosovo".

"The latest draft of the statute was prepared by the EU after Kosovo failed to fulfill its obligation. Despite numerous calls from the EU and the US at the highest level, we prepared the draft, respecting Kosovo's red lines, with the active participation of internationally renowned legal experts, taking into account the most effective models of similar associations within the EU. There are over 20 such models in the EU that function without fear of autonomy or division," Stano said.

He pointed out that the EU's policy had been clear for years, and the European path for Kosovo and Serbia went through the normalization dialogue.

"Without normalization, there is no accession to the EU," Stano said.

According to him, among the basic principles for EU accession, not only for Kosovo and Serbia but also for countries that are already members, such as Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, and Slovakia, reconciliation, good neighborly relations, and resolving past issues are essential to prevent them from "bringing them into the EU".

Regarding punitive measures, Stano stated that Kosovo had not fulfilled all EU requirements for the sanctions to be lifted.

"These measures were not invented out of thin air; they were a reaction of the EU and its 27 member states to a series of counterproductive steps on the part of Kosovo, leading to a serious escalation of the situation. The Union has sent specific requests to Kosovo for de-escalation, and those steps were very clear and repeated many times. Measures can be lifted at any time when the member states and the EU say so, but unfortunately, not everything has been done. There have been some steps, but Kosovo had to fully meet those conditions," Stano said.

He stated that a high-level meeting between Kosovo and Serbia was being prepared but there was still no date.