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Restarting the technical process of dialogue in Brussels, at the time when this process was expected to move towards a final political agreement, is being accompanied by objections in Pristina.

In addition to the presidency that has been declared against, even connoisseurs and political processes oppose the resumption of a technical level dialogue.

Former chief negotiator in Kosovo-Serbia technical dialogue and former Minister for Dialogue Edita Tahiri says the launch of any new technical level dialogue could delay the process of reaching the final agreement.

“I fear that what has been warned as a technical dialogue for this week can introduce this process even in the next ten years, and that approach does not bring lasting peace and stability either to the region, nor to relations between both states”, Tahiri said in a conversation for Radio Free Europe.

After 20 months, Kosovo dialogue Serbia has resumed 16 July in Brussels, between Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq.

The two main topics at this meeting were the unemployed and economic co-operation.

After this meeting, Brussels warned that dialogue at the technical level between Kosovo and Serbia would resume on Wednesday, 22 July.

The delegations of Kosovo and Serbia are expected at this meeting to continue discussions on two topics raised at the Hoti Vuciq meeting.

According to Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, the topic of economics, among other things, includes war damages, state debt, pensions, bank savings, and private wartime property damages.

Former chief negotiator Edita Tahiri says these topics that have been discussed at last week's meeting between Prime Minister Hoti and President Vuciq should be included under the final agreement, not discussed in the technical process.

“Now needs to work on the final agreement as well as within it can address issues that are called technical but are very important, war reparations, then success, wealth sharing and so on. But if more technical things are done and then put on the final agreement, it is at risk of leaving the process open indefinitely”, Tahiri said.

EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Josep Borrellı right, Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, and Kosovo Prime Minister Abdullah Hoti.

EU expects sides to confirm delegations

In a response to Radio Free Europe, the European Union confirms that it has sent invitations to Kosovo and Serbia, as far as restarting technical dialogue is concerned.

EU External Affairs and Security Policy spokeswoman Nabila Masrali says that at the meeting, issues discussed at the summit in the middle of Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, will be discussed.

“We have sent invitations, we expect to hear from the parties. The expert-level meeting will focus on topics discussed”, Massrali says.

In the EU, they do not comment on meeting frames or expectations from this process.

The government prefers to remain silent

Free Europe Radio has tried on Saturday and Sunday to take a stance from the Kosovo government on who will be part of the delegation at the technical meeting, as well as what the meeting's framework will be.

Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti's office has not responded to Radio Free Europe's interest, but after the insistence and the only answer given is that “you will be notified by” time.

The interest in understanding more about the team's makeup, as well as government expectations from this process has not been answered by Deputy Prime Minister Driton Selmanaj, who accompanied Prime Minister Hoti to Brussels.

Presidency Against Dialogue

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci's cabinet chief, at the same time president's top political adviser, Bekim Colak, says the goal of dialogue with Serbia should be the final agreement with mutual recognition, not the resumption of a European Union-led technical dialogue.

According to him, technical dialogue is designed to justify opening more chapters for Serbia's EU accession, while leaving Kosovo isolated and at the status quo.

Amy: EU has wrong access to this process

The recognition of the political processes, Donika Emini, the possibility of the resumption of technical dialogue, describes the European Union as wrong strategy.

And start with technical process, hoping it brings us something political even with such political elites, I don't think it's the strategy that needs to be followed. There is no need to start with a technical process in which we can possibly lose another ten years of talking about things that are not important, that is, things that bring nothing into operation to end this bilateral dispute between Kosovo and Serbia”, Emini tells Radio Free Europe.

Hoti in dialogue without opposition support

While Vetevendosje Movement MP Artan Abrashi tells Radio Free Europe that dialogue with Serbia must cease, as he says, Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti leads a government without political support and legitimacy.

“We do not believe in processes and discussions of this nature. Time has shown there are no technical issues. The problem between Kosovo and Serbia is not a technical problem. It is a political problem and we see nothing positive from this process, when we know very well where it will end”, Abrashi says.

Even the Democratic Party of Kosovo criticised Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti for rushing to Brussels.

MP Enver Hoxhaj, at a news conference Saturday, called the government and Prime Minister Hoti inexperienced to lead the process.

“It (Kosovo government) has entered the platformless dialogue, without strategy, without consensus, without co-ordination, without experience in this process and without any expert”, Hoxhaj said.

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, met in Brussels on 16 July.

This meeting took place after almost two years, after the dialogue ended in 2018, after the 100 percent fee was set for products of origin from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Otherwise, technical talks between Kosovo and Serbia, with the European Union's mediation, have started in 2011.

The idea has been to discuss technical issues that would make daily life easier for citizens of both states.

In late 2012, with the technical talks, talks began on the political level for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

So far over 23 agreements in dialogue on the technical and political level have been reached. But not all agreements reached have been implemented.