European diplomats cutting: EU doesn't want to have member states that have conflicts with neighbours

Kurti had said it is in the interest of the state of Kosovo, the EU and the US so that the process of Kosovo's membership in the European bloc is not linked to the Kosovo dialogue Serbia for normalisation of relations. These statements were made at the “Plani conference of the Western Balkans' growth and faster EU integration”, which was held on 22 January in Skopje, North Macedonia.

Some of the EU diplomats, with whom Radio Free Europe has spoken, say resolving open problems or issues with neighbours for each country is at the heart of the enlargement process.

“Regional co-operation, good neighbouring and willingness to resolve open issues with neighbours through political means and dialogue, from the Zagreb summit in 2000 to today, has been set as a condition in the enlargement process. Without that condition, enlargement would not make sense, because the EU does not want to have member states that have conflicts with neighbours“, an EU diplomat has said recalling that „the abnormalisation of reports between Kosovo and Serbia is one of the most important issues not only for these two countries, but for the entire Western Balkan region”.

Even EU spokesman for foreign and security issues Peter Stano has said good neighbourly reports and reconciliation are the cornerstone of the EU integration process.

The good neighbourly reports, reconciliation and normalisation of the reports are the cornerstone of the EU membership process for each aspiring country. This, too, is a legal part involved in relevant documents related to the process of Kosovo membership, Serbia and all other countries”, Stano has said in his response.

The European Union and member states have been clear as crystal in public and direct statements with partners, that the path towards the EU for Kosovo and Serbia leads through dialogue to normalise reports”, he has said, recalling some EU Council conclusions since 2013, to the final conclusions of the Council of General Affairs from December 12th last year.

In those conclusions it was written that normalising reports and implementing obligations from dialogue are essential conditions on the European road of Kosovo and Serbia, and both risk losing important cases in the absence of progress.

According to European diplomats, dialogue is a tool for normalising reports between Kosovo and Serbia, while normalisation is a condition for both countries for their progress in the European integration process. Therefore, these sources say, it is impossible and would be contrary to the logic of the enlargement process as if the condition were removed.

EU sources have said that even from Serbia it has been heard several times that it cannot “remain hostage to dialogue“, because Belgrade claims it has fulfilled all obligations, while Kosovo has not fulfilled them and, according to them, “Kosovo holds responsibility for the lack of progress in the process of normalising reports”.

But what is understandable, according to EU and diplomats, is that every country that aspires to EU membership should have its own way and be assessed on the basis of individual merits in meeting the criteria.

“This means that if Kosovo fulfils its obligations and Serbia does not, then Kosovo will not be hindered from making progress. The opposite will also be valid, so that Serbia is not a hostage to Kosovo's failure in fulfilling its” obligations, an EU diplomat has said.

EU sources recall that implementation of obligations from the dialogue will also become a formal part of the membership negotiations process with Serbia, including in chapter 35 of the EU negotiating framework, as European Union member states have requested.