Kosovo-Serbia dialogue/ Brussels admits it is failing to provide Kurti-Vucciq meeting

European Union spokesman Peter Stano warned that the precondition for setting up the next meeting should be the willingness of the parties to agree on concrete results, in the best of their citizens.

We have made it very clear, after two meetings this year, that the precondition for the next meeting should be the readiness of both sides to agree on concrete results for the benefit of their citizens. EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security (Joseph Borrell)'s latest contacts and EU Representative's diplomacy for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak indicated that there is currently no readiness for”, Stano said.

However, on December 1st, while speaking from Riga at the European foreign ministers' meeting with NATO, Borrell stressed that Kosovo and Serbia should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible.

In late November, EU special envoy for dialogue Lajcak visited Pristina and Belgrade at the attempt to organise the new round of meeting at the highest level.

During a visit to Pristina on November 25th, Lajcak said there is room for progress within dialogue until he stressed the strategic importance of this process for the entire European Union.

After meeting with Prime Minister Kurti, Lajcak said it is not only important to set the meeting, but also the outcome it could have.

From visits to Pristina and Belgrade, the sources of Radio Free Europe have said Lajcak, however, has returned completely discouraged.

Since Albin Kurti became prime minister of Kosovo, within the dialogue he has met only twice with Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq. Both meetings were unsuccessful and proved how far the parties stand in their approach to dialogue.

That is what forced European officials to declare that the third meeting will happen only if there is readiness for progress in the dialogue.

On December 5th, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the possibility of having a meeting in Brussels with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, has been discussed.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Kurti will stay in Brussels, but during this visit, he will meet top European officials, including diplomacy chief Borrell, but meeting with Serbian President Vuciq will not.

According to sources in Brussels, meeting with Borrell will be the last opportunity for this year to try to organise the third meeting between Kurti and Vucinqi.

Talks on normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia have started since 2011. A number of agreements have been reached since then, but most of them have not been implemented in practice.

Dialogue was interrupted several times for various reasons. But, recently the obstacle in dialogue was made to establish the Association of Serb-run municipalities in Kosovo.

The aim of the dialogue is said to be to reach a comprehensive and legally binding agreement for both sides.