Erath: Washington cannot help in dialogue unless tariffs are dropped earlier

The United States is expected to play a greater role in the talks between Kosovo and Serbia on normalising relations between them, says the Voice of America, Deputy Director for European Affairs and Russia at the John Erath National Security Council.

In an interview with the case of the 20th anniversary of the end of fighting in Kosovo, the senior US official says Washington cannot help in dialogue unless the tariffs are lifted earlier. Regarding the so controversial topic recently for territorial exchange, White House adviser for the Balkans says this solution does not seem realistic.

Voice of America: Kosovo marks these days the 20th anniversary of the end of the war. How do you see the situation there today?

John Erath: It has been 20 years since the war ended in Kosovo, and this is an important moment. It's important to me, too, in my personal plan. 20 years ago I was in the NATO offices, working for the American government there. I was able to see daily reports from conflict zones. I lived in Kosovo in the mid-1990s when the situation was very serious, but before it got worse. When I was on the NATO read about places and villages that I knew and that were being emptied of people, I thought about my friends, my acquaintances, who were losing homes in this terrible conflict. So when the war ended, I had deep emotions. I had great hope for the future, for the possibility that people would be able to live a normal life. I was in Pristina again recently and was delighted to see the progress that has been made for 20 years. Businesses that are open are encouraging. People are able to move freely. But the work is definitely not over.

Voice of America: At that time, did you think that after 20 years, Kosovo and Serbia would still be in the phase that they are today in terms of normalising relations?

John Erath: I had hoped that progress would be greater for such a time. But it often takes time in international relations to reach a good solution. Now we should have normalised relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Kosovo has been independent since 2008. Although it has political independence, the country is dependent on the rest of the world for international aid and on NATO for security. It's still a difficult situation. There are many people who are unemployed. Investors are not willing to risk capitals in Kosovo's economy due to the unclear security situation. So the time has come, as President (Donald) Trump said in December, to normalise relations and create a better situation for all, not only in Kosovo, but also in Serbia.

Voice of America: It seems the situation has been blocked recently since Pristina imposed tariffs on Serbian goods. Serbia, in turn, says it does not sit down for talks without the tariffs lifted. Is there a way out of this situation?

John Erath: I hope there's a way. It is important to remember that although tariffs are the obstacle of the moment, they were decided for a reason, in response to the campaign against Kosovo recognition, which Serbia had started in international organisations. The American government's advice to Pristina is that the tariffs must be removed, for the dialogue process to begin. We are very aware of the circumstances. And that should be considered.

Voice of America: Washington has pressured Pristina to lift tariffs, but so far this has not happened. What should Pristina receive in exchange for lifting tariffs?

John Erath: You must remove them to start the dialogue.

Voice of America: In exchange for what?

John Erath: The benefits from the dialogue are clear. This will lead to a more normal situation, the possibility of Kosovo's membership in the UN and other international organisations. And improved economic situation. You ask what Kosovo will take in return, and that is an important question. Therefore, our advice is not to eliminate tariffs completely, but to suspend them temporarily, as a test to see whether the Serb side will respond by mutual action. And the test of that would be if Serbia stopped the campaign against recognition. If so, then that would show seriousness and have good opportunities for progress. If the anti-recognition campaign continues, if negotiations from the Serbian side are not genuine, then the tariffs can be restored and the situation is exactly what it is now. Nothing would be lost except a little time.

Voice of America: A new process has already been launched, the Franco-German initiative. Chancellor Merkel and President Makron are meeting with leaders of the Western Balkans. On July 1st, the second meeting is held in Paris, but President Thaci said of the first meeting, the Berlin one, that it was “suspected” that the American side had not been informed and was not part of that process. Are the United States playing any role in this European initiative?

John Erath: We talk to our European allies regularly. I have talked with French and German counterparts about the situation in the Balkans. We did not attend the Berlin summit, as it was scheduled to develop on issues related to the European Union and we are not part of the EU. In the future we would be willing to participate in whatever Berlin or Paris wanted to organize with a role that would be appropriate for us.

Voice of America: Will you attend the July Paris summit?

John Erath: It is not yet determined, but we are willing to participate.

Voice of America: Germany has openly expressed itself against changing borders, exchanging territories as a solution formula. The United States, on the other hand, says there are no red lines, as long as the parties agree. Are these not the conflicting signals the West sends to Kosovo?

John Erath: No, they're not. As you said, our attitude is, simply stated, that whatever the parties agree on, we would not have problems. Our aim is to have an agreement, to normalise relations. Germans stress it differently. But it's actually the same thing, because I don't see any practical way in which a major change of territories can be achieved, which would be acceptable to both sides. That's the point. The United States respects OSCE principles, among them territorial integrity. It is up to people in Kosovo to decide what their territorial integrity is. This is a repeat of what was said in 2007, during the Ahtisaari process, where some experts proposed divisions and similar things. There was no point then, and it doesn't make sense now, there can be no separation.

Voice of America: Would it be correct to say that since this idea came up, much time was spent and a new, tariff barrier arose, as it may have influenced Prime Minister Haradinaj's decision to set them up?

John Erath: I don't know what the prime minister thinks, maybe you should ask him about it.

Voice of America: Is the idea of changing the dead border?

John Erath: There can be no difference of boundaries without the consent of the parties involved.

Voice of America: The sides agree on something, but they may need push from other forces from abroad to get where it should...

John Erath: I don't see it as a realistic scenario. It is up to governments in Belgrade and Pristina to decide what they want to do with the border between them.

Voice of America: So far in the Balkans, the parties have shown they can hardly agree on something, without having a strong impetus from the international community. All the more Kosovo and Serbia because of centuries-old hostilities. What will be the main push from Washington for both countries? They've been talking about it for so many years.

John Erath: We think we have a good chance now to normalize relations. Both Pristina and Belgrade see this in their interest in integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. Progress in this regard will not take place until relations are normal. Fortunately, we have strong leadership in both countries that understand this. So the motive exists. Overcoming such small issues as tariffs is important. It is important for yet another reason. As you said earlier, it is important for the United States to be involved in the process, in dialogue, to play a moderator role. But we can't do anything until the dialogue starts, so until the tariffs are removed. I'm in the office and I plan on how we can help, what the American contribution would be, but I can't start implementing them until the issue of tariffs is overcome. So we'll be able to do more after we overcome this situation.

Voice of America: If tariffs are removed or suspended and dialogue begins, can Washington be expected to play a bigger role?

John Erath: Yeah, we're gonna play a bigger role. We'll be involved wherever necessary. If we get there and if it helped the parties, I'd invite them to come here to Washington. We want to do everything that might be worth it.

Voice of America: Serbia's president tries to stay on both sides, aims at EU membership, but on the other hand maintains close relations with Russia and China. Do you see Serbia as a reliable partner?

John Erath: I have worked with Serbia for many years and the expectation is that they act in line with their interests. It is up to President Vucic to decide what is in Serbia's interest. I believe he understands the many benefits his country would have with EU membership and the great benefits some of Serbia's neighbouring countries have had. I believe he understands that greater integration with Europe would benefit the people of Serbia. It is up to him to balance this with his relationship with Russia and other countries. The reason I have hope for this process now is that, very clearly, it is in Serbia's interest to solve the problems it has with Kosovo by establishing good neighbourly relations. President Vucic said that in parliament a few weeks ago and we believe he understands where his interests are.

Voice of America: Even one last question, is there some sort of fatigue feeling in Washington or Europe with Kosovo talks on Serbia, which are extending indefinitely?

John Erath: There is no fatigue now, we are optimistic that we can achieve progress. After 20 years of uncertainty, there is now an opportunity to complete what began then. But if we were to be blocked by small issues like tariffs, or in theory an exchange of land, which I don't believe would happen, then there would be fatigue. I can say Washington is very interested in fully participating in the process now and helping the dialogue progress. But a year later, perhaps the situation would no longer be the case. The United States is a global power and I can't say that if after a year there wasn't another crisis in the Middle East, Korea, or anywhere else and all attention would focus there.