Serbia with threatening statements before continuing dialogue, Government Without Strategy

These statements by the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora follow statements by Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq, who claims there are states that are willing to withdraw Kosovo recognitions.

International Law Professor Africa Hoti stresses that threatening statements by Serbia's authorities come on the eve of continuing dialogue with Kosovo and intend to undermine this process.

But, according to him, Kosovo diplomacy has no clear strategy to block Serbia's efforts to ensure the recognitions claimed by the designated countries.

According to pledges signed at the White House in Washington on September 4th 2020, Kosovo has taken over its obligation not to apply for membership in international organisations within a year, meanwhile for the same period of time, Serbia has taken the obligation to stop the campaign to attract Kosovo recognitions.

MPJD: No signals for stopping Serbia's Kosovo recognised campaign

In a written response by MPJD, “unfortunately, Serbia is consistently proving that it does not adhere to agreements and continues its destructive policies in relation to Kosovo”.

“We have no signal, which makes us believe that Serbia has stopped the Kosovo recognised campaign, neither earlier nor now. This is a pity and, of course, affects the performance of the dialogue that is expected to be maintained. Kosovo's approach remains constructive, however. The government of the Republic of Kosovo is very committed and every day is working very seriously for strengthening the international subjectivity of the Republic”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora response reported.

However, this ministry has not provided answers to whether it has knowledge of what those countries are, potentially Serbia has lobbied for attracting Kosovo recognitions.

Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, on 2 May, has declared for a media in Serbia that his country must face pressures that will be increasingly powerful by the powerful Western countries that have recognised Kosovo. As he has said, “at this moment they have failed to snatch any recognition from countries assigned to Pristina, because they mean they are respecting Washington's” agreement.

I tell you all, you just do your job. You'll be surprised to see what our answer will be. You will see how many countries will attract recognitions the same day”, Vuciq said and added that neither the United States nor Europe nor anyone else will ask for that.

On the other hand, the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora has said that “invites the EU and the US to both mediator and supporter of the dialogue process support the process, assess Kosovo's constructive role and exert the necessary pressure on Serbia to stop campaigns and hostile approach to the Republic of Kosovo”.

Hoti: Kosovo diplomacy without clear strategy

International Law Professor at the University of Pristina, Africa Hoti, told Radio Free Europe that now and now, how long has it become a practice that Serbia, although it says that it respects international agreements, has taken actions on the ground that are considered destructive and that essentially tend to undermine the peace process and achieve an agreement with Kosovo.

But, according to him, Kosovo diplomacy, under the umbrella of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, has yet to show signs that it is Amortising Serbia's lobby against Kosovo recognitions.

“From what is seen, Kosovo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not dealt with this issue. For more than that, it has been dealing with internal political consumption issues, it means issues that absolutely do not relate to diplomacy. Normally, the whole process is characterised with a powerful credition of the Serbian factor, in particular now, at this significant moment, since we are ahead of the resumption of negotiations”, Hoti stressed.

He added that before such moments as the continuation of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, it is understandable that both sides throw stones at each other, make plans, but also different institutions, which in their essence have the benefit and advance of their negotiating position.

As Professor Hoti said, with such a situation, Serbia is now challenged and at some time and it is already offensive in many ways, as well as blackmailed to withdraw Kosovo recognitions from certain states.

He estimated that Serbia cannot succeed in all these threats and blackmail, because it is not a state with global powers, but according to him, it does not warrant the eventual failure of Kosovo diplomacy.

This does not free Kosovo from obligation, whether through its fragile diplomacy, as it does, both in close co-ordination with powerful allied states, not only to maintain strong ties but also to intensify them and look for other paths to ensure new recognition. This, normally, cannot be done unless we have clear strategies and if we do not build diplomacy, which deals with Kosovo diplomacy rather than diplomacy dealing with daily politics in Pristina”, Hoti stressed.

Serbia, since 2017, has been campaigning aggressive diplomaticly to attract Kosovo state recognitions.

Due to its lobby, some states reportedly have frozen co-operation reports with Kosovo.

Serbia's campaign, earlier, has prevented Kosovo from membership in the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Agency (UNESCO).