Kurti-Vucciq meeting on 27 February, what citizens in Pristina and Belgrade say

The last time they met in Brussels in November 2022, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, carried tensions and uncertainty about the use of Serbian license plates in northern Kosovo.

At the meeting scheduled for February 27th, they will face a European Union proposal for normalising their relations.

What their final position will be is not clear, but speculations about whether or not to accept the plan have included public opinion on both sides.

What do citizens in Pristina say?

Sanije Zeqiraj says the negotiating parties will have to find “one among”, in order not to repeat tensions.

She says the agreement with Serbia should also have the support of the people.

If there's anything against [the will of] the people, I think we'll have trouble again. I count that Kurti is very careful at this point and I don't doubt he can make any mistakes”, says Zeqiraj, retired from the education field.

She adds that there should not be much time left to reach a final solution because, as it puts it, citizens have been tired of the negotiation process, which has started since 2011.

Samedin Beqiri, the bookseller in Pristina, has no high expectations of the meeting in Brussels and believes both sides will negotiate for a long time before reaching any final solution.

“In my opinion, issue of final settlement Kosovo- Serbia is still far from”, Beqiri says of Radio Free Europe.

“I hope it will become better and permanently deploy for Kosovo”, says briefly Fadil Konushevci, a private sector worker.

What do citizens in Belgrade say?

Aleksandar Durkovic looks out hope that Kosovo and Serbia will find a compromise solution “for the sake of common interest”.

But, the EU's proposal for normalising relations, according to him, is not acceptable because, as it says, Serbia should not accept Kosovo's independence.

Serbia's [Serbia's] president, Aleksandar Vuciq, has said that Kosovo legally does not exist and that it is an illegal state”, Durkovic tells Radio Free Europe.

Mira believes that talks between Kurti and Vuciki “will be difficult”, but that Serbia's president “will not be handed over”.

“We cannot make many concessions to Europe”, she says.

Nenad Micic says after February 27th there will be no major progress in Kosovo-Serbia relations and adds that, currently, “everyone is satisfied with the status quo at”.

There would be problems on both sides if they agreed to a compromise... This situation fits some of the other forces, which affect its preservation”, says Micic unequivocally who he's talking about.

What does the EU's proposal for Kosovo and Serbia include?

International mediators in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue have introduced the EU plan for normalising relations in September last year to the parties.

That document, which is supported by the US, Germany and France, does not mention mutual recognition or Kosovo membership in the United Nations.

The proposal has not been made public, but Radio Free Europe has had access to a version whose authenticity is confirmed by sources in Brussels.

It requires that Serbia not intervene in Kosovo's membership in international organisations and that both sides respect each other's sovereignty and integrity.

The proposal also includes equal rights for both countries, recognition of state symbols, special treatment for the Serb community in Kosovo, and implementation of agreements reached so far within the dialogue on normalising relations.

The proposal has been accepted in principle by Kosovo's prime minister and Serbia's president.

There are still differences in attitudes

Political analyst in Pristina Artan Muhhaxhiri says his expectations for the Kurti-Vucciq meeting are minimal.

Prime Minister Kurti accepted the EU proposal as a good basis for negotiations. However, his position on one of the most fundamental issues of the Serbian majority municipalities is very complicated”, says Mujariri, professor of sociologisty.

The association of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo is an issue that has been blocking progress in the dialogue for years.

For its formation, Kosovo and Serbia have agreed in 2013. However, Kosovo refuses to establish it, claiming it is not in line with its Constitution and that it can lead to the division of the country.

Under the international community's continued pressure to implement the Association Agreement, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has presented six conditions for its formation.

Some of them say the association should be in line with Kosovo laws and serve exclusively intercommunal co-operation.

Muharhiri says the consequences will be great unless any of the parties accept the EU proposal.

The “will be stigmatized as a party blocking the political normalisation of our region, and that will also mean an anttagonistic position towards the United States of America and the European Union in the years ahead”, Muhramir says of Radio Free Europe.

What's different this time?

Dusan Janjic, from the Belgrade Forum for Ethnic Relations, says that on February 27th negotiations on accepting the EU plan for normalising relations can formally begin.

According to him, the most serious meetings on this issue could only follow the return of Serbs to Kosovo institutions.

He recalls that the EU plan has been presented to the parties immediately after tensions in northern Kosovo and after barricades set up by several local Serb citizens.

In early November of last year, Serbs in northern Kosovo have left Kosovo Police, judicial institutions and local administration in an effort to prevent Kosovo authorities from implementing the process of reregistering vehicles from Serbian illegal license plates to Kosovo's Republic license plates.

The move has been followed by the establishment of barricades in the north, which have been removed after Vuciq has said he received guarantees from the US that association will be formed.

Janzic says that for him, the EU proposal is precedent, because it opens a public discussion of a secret document.

There is no example of this way of preparing and developing negotiations. If it succeeds, it will be a question for research in all universities”, says Janjaq for Radio Free Europe.

What has preceded the meeting in Brussels?

The EU's special envoy for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, has recently visited Pristina and Belgrade on February 6th, in order to set a high-level meeting within dialogue.

After this visit, Prime Minister Kurti has said Kosovo accepts the EU proposal for normalising relations with Serbia and considers it a good basis for further discussions.

Similarly, Vucic has said he is willing to work on implementing the EU proposal for normalisation of relations.

The US has welcomed Kurti's decision, stating that the “agreement will bring considerable benefits to Kosovo and Serbia”.