Western experts: Kosovo-Serbia dialogue in trouble, approach needs to be changed

Recognisors of developments in the Western Balkans estimate that the failed meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia's president testified that the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia, mediated by the European Union and supported by the United States, has already entered a closed district.

Western experts said today that exiting this situation could only be done through a reformed process, with clear intentions and a second plan.

I'm not surprised there was any progress. It's a kind of dialogue trajectory that's been on hold for a long time. And not necessarily because of mediators... because their success depends on the parties and if the parties don't want to move in a certain direction, then it won't happen”, analyst Leon Hartwell told Voice of America at the Center for European Policy Analysis and London School of Economics.

Analyst Majda Ruge from the European Council for Foreign Relations said that although expectations were that the meeting between Mr. Kurti and Mr. Vuciq would create a moment to give the new direction and a more constructive framework implementing the basic agreement between the two countries, it is not surprising that he failed to meet these expectations.

Why are we continuing to fail? As Einstein said, the definition of madness is always to do the same and expect another result. The entire European Union's approach to mediation is continuing with the same approach as it is neglecting challenges that will not disappear unless we change access. We need to raise the question of what is expected of Kosovo, what is expected from Serbia as an offer to Kosovo, and how much high political attention and influence are willing to invest the European Union and other foreign players,” says about Voice of America, expert Majda Ruge from the European Council for Foreign Relations.

Mrs. Ruge says the problem lies in two completely different views of Pristina and Belgrade, in particular about the issue of creating association of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo, whose implementation has become the main obstacle in the process. According to her, Prime Minister Kurti considers association an organisation without executive competencies, while President Vuciq views it as a structure of decision-making and executive competencies.

This is something Pristina does not accept... because it considers it an instrument for political interference from Belgrade on Kosovo issues”, it says.

According to Mr. Hartwell, the failure of the dialogue will continue to present concern for the European Union and NATO about the tense situation between Kosovo and Serbia, which escalated shortly after the reconciliation of both sides with the basic agreement between violent clashes in northern Kosovo municipalities. According to him, in the near future, the international community will focus on curbing further escalation. But in the long-term future, according to Mr. Hartwell, the failure of dialogue will have implications for Kosovo and Serbia on their European path and will force the two countries to live in a constant state of uncertainty.

“Dialogue has no clear purpose. The European Union is talking about normalization, but this concept doesn't make any sense... Mediators need to be more clear about what they want to achieve. There are two issues about this conflict to be considered. Security and respect of Kosovo's sovereignty. Besides, middlemen don't have a second plan. If they realized that the dialogue is in a bind, it would help them show more imagination to achieve the main goals of these negotiations. You can't negotiate just to reach a deal. Negotiation to achieve a goal. They have to make this clear. ”

Mr. Hartwell says the European Union and the United States must calibrate access to punishments and rewards.

When the situation escalated in the north, Kosovo was punished by being excluded from exercises with several NATO members. A few weeks later, a military exercise was held in Serbia, where eight NATO states participated. She was not convicted of violence, although there are strong ties between the Vuciqi regime and the main Serbian party in Kosovo,” he stressed.

He thinks that in the future the pressure will continue to increase towards Kosovo, but that Western diplomats must show more impartial in relation to both countries.

Serbia, basically, holds the key to ending this crash. If Mr. Vucic were serious about achieving peace seriously, he would have ended today (criss),” he says.

But according to Mrs. Ruge, there is no hope for any progress.

The future will be the same thing as a combination of efforts to bring changes to the ground and bring the dialogue forward, with continued visits to Brussels, and another press conference on why we have failed to progress and with any escalation on the ground, depending on how serious foreign actors are, The EU and the US, to pressure Serbia not to foster problems in the north.” / VOA