Lajcak next week begins his mission as negotiator in Kosovo- Serbia

This will be his first visit to Pristina, since taking up the post of EU emissary for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia more than two months ago. This news, for Radio Free Europe, confirmed diplomatic sources in Brussels.

Lajcak's office has not yet answered whether he will visit Belgrade or stay alone in Pristina.

Due to the difficulties of travel, as a result of measures imposed against the Chronobrus pandemic, Lajcak is expected to come to Kosovo through Albania. He is expected to stay in Pristina for several days.

EU Special Representative Lajcak is expected to have an office with three advisers in Pristina. Meanwhile, in Belgrade, his team is expected to consist of five advisers. It is about dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, as well as there is a team of seven members in Brussels.

During his visit to Kosovo, Lajcak is expected to meet with political leaders, with whom he will discuss preparations over the resumption of dialogue.

But, it is still not known whether he will meet with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who has in some cases declared that he will not participate in the dialogue mediated by Lajcak, as the diplomat coming from Slovakia does not recognise Kosovo's independence.

“at this moment cannot comment on any meeting Lajcak may have”, the Lajcak Office's response in Brussels said.

Even from Kosovo President Hashim Thaci's office, as Radio Free Europe teaches, there is no difference in the willingness of the president of Kosovo to meet Mr. Lajcak.

President Thaci on several occasions has Lajcak's positions against Kosovo's independence, at the time when he was Slovakia's foreign minister. Thaci has even cited Lajcak's vote against Kosovo membership in U NESTO and INTERPOL.

Sources in Brussels have also confirmed that there has been no formal communication between President Thaci and special representative Lajcak.

The last meeting between Thaci and Lajcak has been during the Security Conference in Munich, Germany, before Lajcak was appointed special representative for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. Diplomatic sources say efforts to hold a telephone conversation between Thaci and Lajcak have failed, suggesting that Thaci has sent orders that “is busy fighting the pandemic of the Coronavirus”.

Diplomatic sources in the EU, however, hope that Thaci will co-operate with Lajcak or that Kosovo will appoint a chief negotiator for dialogue, with which Lajcak could be in permanent contact to advance the ambitious plan for reaching an agreement as quickly as possible.

An important role in this regard is expected to be held by Germany and France, which have supported the work of Mr. Lajcak.