BIRN Fact-Check: Can Kosovo Reopen its Border Deal with Montenegro?

On March 31, Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwartz said demarcation between Kosovo and Montenegro was still not over, also pointing out that the border has yet to be marked on the ground by state commissions of both countries.

"The initial report on the work of the commissions of both countries drew serious reactions in Kosovo from the public and institutions," Gervalla-Schwartz told the daily Vijesti.

"A new commission, later established by the Kosovo government, has identified serious violations in the work of the first commission," she added.

Foreign Minister of Kosovo Donika Gervalla-Schwarz at the a press conference.Photo: EPA-EFE/VALDRIN XHEMAJ

Gervalla-Schwartz was referring to the joint statement of February 16, 2018, signed by two then-presidents, Hashim Thaci and Filip Vujanovic whose signatures opened the way for Kosovo's parliament to ratify the deal later.

Gervalla-Schwartz claimed that their statement "allowed for a review of the process and possible corrections in two areas, Chakor and Kula", the two contested areas that caused the most controversy in Kosovo when the agreement was signed.

Several Kosovo political leaders, including Kurti and former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, protested both inside and outside parliament, using teargas and Molotov cocktails to try to block the vote on the deal, claiming that Kosovo would lose more than 8,000 hectares from it.

Xhavit Shala, a Kosovo constitutional expert, said an article in the law on ratification of border deal makes it clear "the provisions of this Agreement can be changed, following the same procedure envisaged for its adoption".

The same law also provides that "international arbitration can be sought for changing provisions of the...