Over 22 billion euros are the war damages that Serbia has caused in Kosovo before and during the last war (1990-1999), government officials and analysts say in Pristina.
But about the compensation of war damages has not been discussed during the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia that was held in Brussels with the facilitation of the European Union.Currently, Kosovo and Serbia are entering the final stage of the dialogue, which has also been announced the conclusion of a final agreement that would mean normalizing relations between the two countries, while according to analysts, on the agenda of talks should also be discussed about the damages of war.
Although this issue was not addressed in the talks in Brussels, this topic was once raised in the Vienna negotiation process, held before Kosovo's declaration of independence. But this topic was immediately closed, as the Serbian side did not accepted such a request.
Muhamet Mustafa, from Riinvest Institute, was the Coordinator of the Economic Affairs Team at the Negotiating Group in Vienna.
Mustafa, now senior adviser to this institute, says it was requested that this issue be addressed in the talks that took place between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels in the dialogue process that started in 2011.
He says that for the normalization of relations between the two countries, Serbia needs to compensate for the damage to the war.
"The team of experts that I led at the time, made an evaluation of war damages for various sectors, and that value has reached over 22 billion euros. Now, of course, to be reconciled, and to see that Serbia really wants to leave behind Slobodan Milosevic, must be ready to clear the accounts and economic damages on private property and other damages caused to Kosovo by its governance and the extermination war that has been held against Albanians ".
"I think that for a bill cleansing, for reconciliation, in addition to seeking forgiveness for damages, those damages should be indemnified," Mustafa says.
Haki Shatri, an economy advisor to the Kosovo government, who was part of the Vienna team at the time, says the international factor has been reluctant to address this issue.
But Shatri says compensation for war damages should still be dealt with within the ongoing talks in Brussels.
"I think that the Kosovo delegation at this stage should list this issue as a special point of talks with the Serbian side on the agenda of the talks," Shatri said.
Muhamet Mustafa says that the Republic of Kosovo should not give up on the repayment of war damages. He considers that even after the conclusion of the negotiations, Kosovo should sue Serbia for war damages.
"Obviously, Kosovo should also look at other opportunities. Though, Kosovo is not yet a member of the International Courts because of its position in the United Nations, but there is no space. I think that Kosovo should handle, should engage expert teams to see how in the best way and in the most appropriate place can be done and executed this lawsuit, "Mustafa told to Radio Free Europe.
Officials of the Government of Kosovo, meanwhile, stated earlier that the indictment would be raised when Kosovo could do so as a member of the United Nations.