American experts accuse EU of failure of US-led dialogue

They have written that progress in the region, whether in the Dayton Agreement, the outcome of the war in Kosovo or the preservation of its security, has come only from co-operation between the US and the EU, and not from one side, placing the other at odds.

“The US and EU share the same fundamental goals in the Western Balkans: for the region to be peaceful, democratic and economically successful, based on rule of law and not a playground for the revision powers like China and Russia. Who will receive praise for unlocking the current situation during the short period of time given by the recent elections in Serbia should be far less important. Seeing The EU is doing beyond the usual to preserve the status quo for fear of receiving praise from someone else for the progress achieved evental progress is disappointing and positively Trumpian”, Rohac and Stradner said.

Moreover, they write that when it comes to diplomacy, American President Donald Trump, according to his critics, has the habit of increasing the value of showing no substance, lack of tact to allies, and very often points to his fast - hurtful ego.

About the Kosovo summit- Serbia during the past week, all these weaknesses of character appeared publicly by the EU. When news of a White House summit was first disclosed between the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo, Aleksandar Vuciq and Hashim Thaci, most Balkan observers were surprised. The response from Europe was totally cold. A good deal would draw Kosovo and Serbia closer to the EU and I don't believe such an agreement can be reached without the presence of the EU there”, said EU Special Minister for Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

The EU's expulsion from the meeting was truly a shameful act. Nor did it help that Trump's envoy, Richard Green, is presented as a clear non-diplomatic figure. During the two years as ambassador to Germany, he changed most of the country's political class. When the summit was being prepared, he insulted his Twitter critics: “You do not know what you are talking about. But you're pretty sure you know. Typical! ”

If we put the teathrality aside, the Green Initiative is worth it. Since the largely aspiring Brussels Agreement (2013), which pledged Kosovo and Serbia to a <x0normalisation” gradual relationship of theirs, the EU has very little to show for its commitment over the years in the region. A US-run resumption of talks about economic integration issues, with the additional carrot provided by future US investments, may have been inefficient but not wrong, say Institute “American Enterprise” experts, Dalibor Rohac and Ivana Stradner.