“Dialog, Banjska and Association”, Borrell in reflective writing on the eve of the end of the term

“EU relief cannot achieve more normalisation than Kosovo and Serbia want. After several months, different people will be at the helm of this file in Brussels, but the expectations of the European Union and its member states will not change. Kosovo and Serbia commitments and obligations will not depart”He wrote Borrell.

Borrell has cited the agreement between the two countries as success, but according to him, even after the deal, there were problems.

“Various political dynamics in the region and an increasingly complex geopolitical context coincide with crises, tensions and numerous escalations”, he wrote Borrell.

He has mentioned the armed attack on Banjska, also showing details of how he learned about the attack.

And then on September 24th 2023, when the news came to me during the UN General Assembly in New York, that an armed invasion in the same region had resulted in the murder of a Kosovo police officer”, Borrell has indicated.

The stalemate in implementing the Association Agreement certainly took place in this letter of reflection of the Spanish diplomat.

“As part of this agreement, we addressed the issue of establishing the Association/Unibility of majority Serb municipalities in Kosovo, one of the most sensitive issues in Dialog. This was already envisioned in the 2013 and 2015 Brussels agreements. To move forward, we introduced the so-called European Building to deal with this sensitive issue, but so far it has not become reality.”, says there.

Borrell's Complete Letter Without Intervention

When I reflected on the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue meetings during my mandate, I would first think of the many challenges we faced: lack of commitment; lack of progress; lack of implementation; lack of will to reach consensus. Despite these many challenges, however, there have been some important steps ahead.

When I took office nearly five years ago, my first visit as High Representative took me to Kosovo. At the time, EU-brokered dialogue had stalled for two years now and had to be revived. The normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is the focus of EU engagement in the Western Balkans. It is necessary to unlock a European future for both, and to strengthen security and stability in the region.

In April 2020, I appointed Miroslav Lajčák as a special representative devoted to restoring the process to the right path. We first advanced in various chapters of a comprehensive agreement during the summer of 2020. However, different political dynamics in the region and an increasingly complex geopolitical context coincide with crises, tensions and numerous escalations.

We have seen blocks and barricades set up and removed, climaxing with Kosovo Serbs' collective resignations from their positions in the Kosovo judiciary, police and administration. This was a serious obstacle.

The most dangerous moments occurred in May 2023, when protests in northern Kosovo turned violent, leaving more than 90 KFOR peacekeepers injured. And then on September 24th 2023, when news came to me during the UN General Assembly in New York, that an armed invasion in the same region had resulted in the murder of a Kosovo police officer and the discovery of a shocking measure of military scale, ammunition.

Despite these challenges and difficulties, however, our many visits and calls have also contributed to significant steps ahead that should not be forgotten. Dialogue has brought tangible improvements to the lives of citizens in Kosovo and Serbia.

First of all, we allow all citizens of Kosovo and Serbia to travel freely between Kosovo and Serbia using their IDs, eventually removing the in-law documents. And we resolved the issue of car license plates with mutual recognition of the license plates between Kosovo and Serbia. People can now move freely through and between them. Freedom of movement is an essential part of normalising relations. We also managed to move towards completing the unstable 20-year practice of electricity default in northern Kosovo.

But most importantly, we managed to reach the so-called Ohrid Agreement on the Road to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex in February and March 2023. Reaching such an agreement at the time of a widespread war on our continent was an important achievement. . For the first time, we have set a clear framework for the future of the process. Unfortunately, its implementation has not yet begun seriously, and both sides bear responsibility for failing to fulfill what they promised to do more than a year ago.

As part of this agreement, we addressed the issue of establishing the Association/Unibility of majority Serb municipalities in Kosovo, one of the most sensitive issues in Dialog. This was already envisioned in the 2013 and 2015 Brussels agreements. To move forward, we introduced the so-called European Building to deal with this sensitive issue, but so far it has not become reality.

Unfortunately, this week's Dialogue Meeting did not bring any progress to effect. Discussions were as difficult as ever and there was never a face-to-face meeting between the president and prime minister. Serbia was willing to meet, but Kosovo asked me to pass a series of preconditions. Currently, the positions of the two sides remain far apart. However, the work will continue: Paul's chief negotiators agreed to come to Brussels next week to process concrete steps to unblock implementation of the Agreement.

In summary, we have done much in recent years, but the process can progress only as quickly as both sides are ready to walk. EU relief cannot achieve more normalisation than Kosovo and Serbia want. After several months, different people will be at the helm of this file in Brussels, but the expectations of the European Union and its member states will not change. Kosovo and Serbia's commitments and obligations will not depart.

All will still see the willingness of the Serbian president and Kosovo prime minister to offer a better European future for their people. In the end, it takes courage, vision, and political will. The EU will continue to help each step along the way.