EU warns Serbia, Kosovo against opening embassies in Jerusalem

Ashkenazi, Levin ask Croatian FM to move embassy to capital.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 22:00

GERMAN FOREIGN Minister Heiko Maas (right) takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union from Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman during a symbolic handover in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin last week. (photo credit: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/REUTERS) — GERMAN FOREIGN Minister Heiko Maas (right) takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union from Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman during a symbolic handover in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin last week.

(photo credit: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/REUTERS)

Opening embassies in Jerusalem runs counter to Brussels’s expectations for Kosovo and Serbia, which seek to join the European Union, EU External Affairs spokesman Peter Stano said Monday.

“Any steps that could call into question the EU’s common position on Jerusalem are a matter of serious concern and regret,” he said.

Last Friday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti signed an economic agreement in the White House. The deal included full normalization of ties between Israel and predominantly Muslim Kosovo, along with both countries opening embassies in Jerusalem. Serbia and Kosovo also agreed to put Hezbollah on their list of terrorist organizations.

“Since Kosovo and Serbia identified EU accession or EU integration as their strategic priority, the EU expects both to act in line with this commitment so the European perspective is not undermined,” Stano said.

As a country already in talks to join the EU, Serbia specifically is “expected to align progressively” with EU foreign-policy positions, he added.

Serbia has been in the process of accession to the EU since 2009 and is not expected to complete negotiations on the matter until 2025. Its nonrecognition of Kosovo, which officially remains Serbia’s policy even after the agreement, has been a major obstacle to joining the EU. Five other member states do not recognize Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008.

Serbia also is not in alignment with Brussels’s policies toward Russia, and that will likely be a greater challenge to its accession than its positions on Israel, an EU source said.

Kosovo was one of six Western Balkan countries the EU recognized in 2018 as a candidate for accession.

The EU was not informed in advance that Jerusalem and ties with Israel would be part of the Kosovo-Serbia agreement, Stano said.

A journalist asked if the sides were aware of what they had signed, likely in light of video showing Vučić looking confused and flipping through the pages of the agreement as US President Donald Trump mentioned both countries would open embassies in Jerusalem.

“It’s a good question for them,” Stano said.

He reiterated that EU policy favors a negotiated two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, which would include Jerusalem as one of its final-status issues.

“A way must be found through negotiations for Jerusalem to be capital of both states, Israel and Palestine,” Stano said.

Knesset Foreign Affairs subcommittee chairwoman Sharren Haskel (Likud) criticized the EU, which she said “lives in the past” and “repeatedly undermines the State of Israel in an attempt to delegitimize its sovereignty and the historic rights of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.”

Haskel thanked Serbia and Kosovo for understanding “the importance... of a capital to its nation” and for standing with Israel by recognizing Jerusalem as its capital.

The US and Guatemala are the only countries with embassies to Israel in Jerusalem, while the 87 others are in the Tel Aviv area.

Also Monday, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman met with Israeli officials, who encouraged the EU member state to join its neighbors in the Balkans in moving their embassy to Jerusalem.

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi called Croatia “one of our best friends in Europe.”

“It’s about time for Croatia to join in… and move its embassy to Jerusalem,” he said.

Ashkenazi called on Zagreb to declare Hezbollah a terrorist group, as Serbia and Kosovo agreed to do.

Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin also called on Croatia to move its embassy to Jerusalem and to support continued sanctions on Iran.

Radman invited Levin to pay an official visit to Zagreb. The Croatian foreign minister also met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Tourism Minister Asaf Zamir.

Netanyahu welcomed the agreements with Serbia and Kosovo on Friday, pointing out that Kosovo will be the first Muslim-majority country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

“The circle of peace and recognition of Israel is expanding with more countries expected to join,” he said.

Netanyahu also expressed hope that more European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem. Serbia already committed to opening a trade office in Jerusalem earlier this year and has a team visiting Israel this week toward that goal.

Israel has not recognized Kosovo in the past 12 years, citing Serbia’s opposition. This was partly due to avoiding setting a precedent for recognition of a Palestinian state.

Also over the weekend, Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera promised to open an embassy in Jerusalem. Israel and Malawi have diplomatic ties but not embassies. Malawi would become the first African country to have an embassy in Jerusalem.

Honduras also has said it would open an embassy in Jerusalem.

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.