Sarrazin: Difficult compromises are needed from Kosovo and Serbia towards the EU

2024-08-29 18:51:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Germany's special envoy for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, said on Thursday in Pristina that the countries of the Western Balkans, in particular Kosovo and Serbia, must be ready for compromises and concessions that are not easy on their way to the European Union.

He said that he made this known to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, during a meeting in Pristina and that he will convey the same message to the other five countries of the region during the next week.

"But for this we need compromises and sometimes even willingness to make concessions to agree on political issues which are not easy for either Serbia or Kosovo. We still haven't reached where we need to be", said Sarrazin to reporters at Pristina International Airport.

He said that his visit is related to preparations for the Berlin Process summit, which will be held on October 14 in Germany.

"I ask everyone to do everything possible to express a willingness to compromise in order to achieve results for the free movement of goods, people, money and trade in the region to move forward towards the European Union," he added.

The Berlin process is not a formal EU policy process towards the Western Balkans region.

It is an initiative of former Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany in 2014, to help the economic development of the six countries of the Western Balkans and their alignment with the European Union.

This initiative serves as a platform for high-level cooperation between high-level official representatives of the so-called Western Balkan Six, which consists of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia. The process also includes EU institutions, international financial institutions and civil society in the region.

During the visit to Pristina, Sarrazin also met with the leaders of the opposition parties, Memli Krasniqi of the Democratic Party of Kosovo and Lumir Abdixik of the Democratic League of Kosovo.

"I informed the emissary Sarrazi that the Democratic Party of Kosovo is committed every day, at all levels of decision-making, to give its unreserved contribution to the preservation of the interest of our state", Krasniqi said through a post on Facebook.

Abdixhiku said that on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the start of the Berlin Process "we discussed the importance of Kosovo's participation there; and the great economic opportunities that flow for the Republic of Kosovo".

Sarrazin was appointed to the post of special envoy for the Western Balkans in February 2022. Since then, he has made a series of visits to Kosovo and other countries in the region.

He was in Kosovo for the last time, in May of this year.

In June, he was in Serbia, where he met with the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vu?i?, with whom he talked about the dialogue for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, which is mediated by the European Union./ Rel