Serbia continues to block Kosovo

Unlike the authorities, the media have given greater attention to this anniversary. But if you look more closely at newspaper headlines in Belgrade, you get the impression that nothing has changed in the last 10 years.

Representatives of Kosovo and Albanian analysts talk about the problems of incomplete sovereignty and the lack of UN membership as the country's biggest challenges. While Serbs in Kosovo underline the problem of association of Serb majority municipalities, as a must that must be realised.
Serious Changes Lack
In essence, in relation to Kosovo in Serbia, almost nothing has changed in the past 10 years. Meanwhile, several agreements have been reached in Brussels, which facilitates the lives of Kosovo citizens, says of DW, Naim Leo Beshiri, executive director of the Institute for European Affairs.
There is no trust between Kosovo and Serbia, whether there is no pressure from the European Union, or no eventual reward for the agreements, they will not be reached at all. While the biggest problem is the lack of implementation of agreements”, he says.
Serbia's policy ten years ago has failed to see reality and exploit the possibilities that existed prior to Kosovo's declaration of independence, says Dragan Djukanovic, deputy chairman of the Centre for Foreign Policy.
It seems to me that the heads of state ten years ago, primarily those of the Democratic Party of Serbia, have not seized some chances and have remained in rigid, fruitless positions. The consequences of such behavior are still being observed today, although we are aware that in Kosovo, south of the Iber River, there is a completely different political, economic, security and any other facet of“, he says.

Problems Are Not Solved by Deal
A very important decision in the past 10 years has been the Brussels Agreement, signed in 2013. The self-called patriotic opinion and opposition in Serbia have hosted this agreement as a kind of capitulation of Serbia. While other political forces see this agreement as a consequence of reality and see possibilities for normalising reports between Belgrade and Pristina.
Naim Leo Beshiri thinks even this agreement does not signal full recognition of reality, but this agreement has contributed to calming tensions. The deal has preserved peace and stabilised the“region.
On the other hand, Dragan Djukanovic notes that the essence of the Brussels Agreement has not been fulfilled “because the association of Serb majority municipalities has not been established, which was agreed on five years ago. This association has been a very important element, because this has been the reason why Serbs have agreed to enter the Kosovo political and legal system“.
There have been various phases in Belgrade and Pristina over the past ten years. At first, the parties have been confined to their positions. Little progress has been achieved after the start of the so-called technical dialogue, which resulted in the signing of the Brussels Agreement. While this year, or next year, the binding agreement on normalisation of reports between Kosovo and Serbia should also be signed. This is perhaps even the most delicate phase in the process of resolving Kosovo's problem.
Despite optimism that this agreement could bring a new era in reports between Kosovo and Serbia, Naim Leo Beshiri thinks this document will not solve the Kosovo issue.
“I don't think this will solve the many decade-long enmity between Belgrade and Pristina. This agreement would satisfy Brussels first, while politicians in Kosovo and Serbia may say that in this way they will accomplish some things of interest to their citizens when it comes to EU membership, visa liberalisation or better economic co-operation with the EU. But this document, which we do not yet know what might be inside, will not be historic or crucial“, he claims.
Blockada on the Road to Normal
Dragan Djukanovic thinks the document on normalisation of reports could be signed this year as well. Some of its components may be known right now. A very important question is whether signing such an agreement would mean announcing new elections and announcing the referendum in Serbia. Djukanovic thinks this would not be necessary, “if there is no essential change of Constitution”. “I think this agreement should be a political document, like the Brussels Agreement, which enables the creation of the framework for co-operation and does not impose judicial recognition among these countries“.
Naim Leo Beshiri, however, thinks signing such an agreement on normalising reports between Kosovo and Serbia will result in new elections in Serbia in the spring of next year, which would be a very important test for the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS)“.
Serbian diplomacy has committed much in recent years to block all of Kosovo's efforts to recognise the state and membership in international organisations. These activities are contrary to expectations for signing the agreement on normalising reports between Kosovo and Serbia.
Naim Leo Beshiri says this “hurts for a genuine cocoaphone at the Serbian political elites. It is not officially possible to impose that you will not block someone in international organisations, while on the other hand you are engaged in all international organisations to block Kosovo's membership. These are things that don't go together “.
UN membership?
The Serbian opinion is convinced that the agreement on normalisation of the reports with Kosovo will only be a kind of maneuvering, with which Serbia will not recognise Kosovo's independence, but will accept that Kosovo has its seat at the UN.
I don't see any solution for Kosovo's automatic membership in the UN through this” agreement, Djukanovic thinks.
Even if Serbia accepts such an opportunity, this process should pass institutional frameworks at the UN. Serbia cannot enable Kosovo to sit at the UN, as can be heard in the opinion, because this is a process that is resolved with the UN Charter and Statistics. And this problem will certainly burden even more of the agreement on normalising the reports with Kosovo“, Djukanovic claims.