Swiss newspaper: Kosovo, Serbia, secret discussion in Switzerland

Serbs have already mobilised by setting barricades on several roads, and thus blocking access to two Kosovo border points with Serbia, Jarinje and Brnjak.

Serbia has even threatened to send forces to Kosovo, applying for KFOR.

The mediators of talks are belonging to institutional leaders in Kosovo and Serbia to try to find a solution, if not permanent, at least immediate to overcome this crisis.

But a probe into Swiss newspaper “NZZ am Sontag” has indicated that “Switzerland is discretically mediating the background between Serbia and Kosovo and seeks to prevent the conflict from escalating further”.

In mid-November, according to the NZZ, Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) received representatives of the two countries in Switzerland. “Such a meeting took place a week after the withdrawal of Serbs from Kosovo institutions”, FDFA spokeswoman Eliza Raggi confirms. For confidential reasons, FDFA does not mean exactly where the talks were held.

As the FDFA follows, this meeting was not an isolated occasion. Since 2015, Switzerland has supported the European Union, which is responsible for the normalisation dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, with its complementary instruments: the “Department for Peace and Human Rights has organised regular meetings where representatives of the most influential parties from both countries take part in”.

This discussion away from the public eye is important so that representatives of Kosovo and Serbia regularly exchange views on political issues and build confidence. This allows direct discrete contacts, for example, to prevent violence explosion”, says FDFA for NZZZ. In addition, ideas can be tested, which will then be included in official negotiations.

Franz Gruter is also concerned about the uncertain situation in the Western Balkans. The SVP National Adviser is chairman of the National Council's Foreign Affairs Commission and travels to Kosovo on Monday two days to see the situation on the ground. “will then be able to bring my impressions to Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis”, Gruter says. The trip was initiated prior to the outbreak of recent tensions. Now the visit gets a special explosive.

Gruter will meet with the chairman of the Kosovo Assembly Foreign Affairs Commission in Pristina. In addition, it is part of the delegation of the Swiss Army head Thomas Susley, who, like every year before Christmas, visits the troops of “Swisscoy” stationed in Kosovo broadcasts Klankosova.tv.

Switzerland has been participating in the KFOR mission in Kosovo since 1999. Now there are 195 Swiss soldiers on the ground.

Gruter says he's very worried. This conflict has the potential to escalate relatively quickly”. He sees parallels to the situation on the border with Ukraine a year ago. At the time, Russian President Putin had brought his tanks up there. “All Europe was asleep, no one was seriously expecting a fight”. Two months later, Putin bombed Kiev. “cannot be ruled out for the same thing to happen in the Balkans and Serbia to invade Kosovo with the support of Russia”. So he welcomes the fact that Switzerland is offering its good offices in this situation.

Not everyone shares Gruther's pessimism.

Jean-Hubert Lebet, who was Switzerland's ambassador to Kosovo from 2016 to 2020, does not expect an invasion. “As ambassador I have experienced several times such Serbian provocations”, Lebet says. It was a bluff every time and I don't understand why it should be different this time”.

He says the risk is too great for Serbia. “NATO will respond immediately and Serbia will lose any prospect of EU integration”.

But how delicate is the situation really?

The FDFA refers to a press release issued by the Federal Council on November 23rd. It writes: “At the moment, the situation is stable, but it is still characterized by ambivalence”.

That assessment coincides with the fact that although army chief Susley is holding to the visit of troops to the Western Balkans, the programme was changed to a brief announcement. The safety of all participants has the top priority, the Department of Defence writes.

A visit to the north of Kosovo was originally planned. However, in the background of the current situation, the programme has adapted”. /