Nicholas Abbott, the Ambassador of Great Britain in Kosovo, has stated that it is time for the Government of Kosovo to officially submit a draft statute for the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority.

“At this point in time, considering the current context of land war in Europe, the agreement’s importance lies in ensuring progress and practical advancements. In my view, particularly regarding the Association, it is time for the Kosovo Government to present the draft statute, which should be based on the Prime Minister’s vision, if they wish to proceed in that manner,” Abbott stated during an interview on the Kallxo Pernime show on Monday.

On the other hand, Kosovo PM Albin Kurti, following the EU-mediated high-level meeting between him and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels on May 2, has proposed a draft vision that outlines the values, principles, and framework for regulating issues concerning non-majority communities.

“I believe that my proposal will be taken seriously by the mediators, as it will allow us to create something good, fair, and beneficial for everyone, not only for the Serbs, who should be able to live in our country and be members of our society,” Kurti expressed.

Abbott mentioned that his preference is for Kosovo to finalize the agreement with Serbia within this calendar year. He emphasized the importance of progress and practical advancements in the agreement.

Regarding the statement made by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who claimed that the Kosovo Government plans to deport Serbs from the north, Abbott dismissed it as ridiculous.

“I think that to state such a thing is likely ridiculous. There are clearly no plans for that to happen. It always seems it is a moment that both sides seem to believe that tensions are in their interest. And really what is needed is to calm everything down,” Abbott added.

On February 27, in Brussels, Kosovo and Serbia signed an agreement on the path of normalizing their relationships. On March 18, in Ohrid, they signed the implementation annex.

Although no signatures were placed on the agreement nor the annex, the European Union has stated that it is binding for all parties. The annex agreed upon in Ohrid includes sanctions for parties that fail to implement the EU deal.