Kosovo's three red lines in talks with Serbia

The fact is, however, that the red or green themes and themes in these talks are not limited to the parties, in this case Pristina and Belgrade, but also assigns the international factor to the European Union, respectively, as facilitators of the talks.

The dialogue on normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia, according to Kosovo institutions officials, has entered the final phase of the talks and, as they stress, this process must be completed with a legally binding agreement on both sides.

Political analysts say Kosovo needs red lines during this process.

Life Krasniqi, analyst from the Kosovo Democratic Institute, tells Radio Free Europe that the dialogue process cannot continue without red lines for Serbia. She says that, in the first place, Kosovo should set red lines for Serbia in terms of territorial integrity negotiations.

Kosovo's “Red lines for the state of Kosovo are its independence -- that is, the territorial integrity of the state of Kosovo -- is the unitary functioning of the state of Kosovo, as well as its representation in the international arena as an equal state with all other states”.

“These would have to be Kosovo's three red lines of state in talks with Serbia, which in no way can be part of the discussion or the negotiating table in the final phase of the” dialogue, Krasniqi said.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and Serbia's Aleksandar Vuciq have talked last month in Brussels about a framework that would send to reaching the final agreement on normalising relations between the two countries. While President Thaci has expressed optimism as far as the end of this process is concerned, Serbian President Vucinq has called the process difficult.

Political analyst Agon Maliqi told Radio Free Europe, that dialogue is already entering the final phase, and that both states may be forced to make concessions.

“We are entering the phase where, under the agreement, Serbia must make constitutional changes to remove Kosovo from its Constitution, and now it is a kind of expectation that Kosovo will also make any concessions and that is going to be something symbolic or something of a content”.

This context part of the content is that the red line issue, whether it's going to be association with the powers of that one, for example, to cross the current constitutional framework and require constitutional changes, or is that other scenario that is not dying of mention, division or changing borders, which obviously changes the game too much”, Maliqi said.

He stresses that the Association of Serb majority municipalities could even take place within some frames that preserve Kosovo's functioning, but other issues remain red lines concerning changing borders.

“As if there should be association or not, I believe it can be done within a few frames that preserve functionality in Kosovo and the other red line around the issue of division, this will not be the red line Kosovo and Serbia assigning it, but it will be the line which the international community appoints”, Maliqi said.

Meanwhile, analyst jetai Krasniqi emphasises that at this stage of political dialogue, a key role should also have Kosovo's Assembly. According to her, there should be a consensus on this issue of all political parties in the country.

This process should go into co-ordination among institutions and have a broad consensus among political parties. Kosovo in these talks must go on to close all issues open to Serbia by gaining mutual recognition, permanently resolving the issue with five non-EU states and guarantees for European prospects, as well as its membership as full-fledged members in the UN and other international organisations”, Krasniqi said.

Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has emerged as a necessary fact that has had to happen, have praised connoisseurs and political developments in Pristina.

Reaching a legally binding agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, in addition to resolving problems between the two countries, would also facilitate their integration into the European Union.

Analysts have estimated that the balance drawn from the Kosovo dialogue Serbia, over the years, cannot be viewed as totally positive or as completely negative for Kosovo.

As a result of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, it has benefited from the launch of membership negotiations in the European Union.