Even if there is dialogue, there are no expectations for results

The European Union's insistence could lead to a new round of talks between Kosovo and Serbia, within the dialogue for normalisation of relations, but political affairs analysts Arton Demhaja and Dusan Janjic doubt it would bring any positive results.

The European Union's special representative in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, hinted that this week he can visit Pristina for, as he said, the preparation of the new round of talks at the top negotiating level.

Free Radio Europe asked the Government of Kosovo about this warning and receiving any invitation from the EU for any evental meeting, but, until the publication of this article, it did not respond.

Kosovo and Serbia's chief negotiators, Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petkovovic, met for the last time in early July, but without any results.

Demhaya, from the non-governmental organisation “Arise” in Pristina, says the EU's insistence on a new round of Kosovo dialogue- Serbia will be fruitless until the parties avoid implementing the agreement towards normalising relations.

Known as the Ohrid Agreement, it has been reached more than a year ago, but no point of it has been implemented, and for this parties constantly blame each other.

Furthermore, Demhaya adds, Kosovo has set February 9th of next year as the date for holding regular parliamentary elections, and, according to him, the country is already in the election pre-future.

It is naive to expect, especially in Kosovo's case, that there may be some movement, when Kosovo is ahead of regular parliamentary elections. The European Union may insist on meeting. The meeting may even take place, but the outcome of the meeting will be zero”, he tells Radio Free Europe.

Demhaya, part of the responsibility is thrown into the European Union as the mediator of dialogue. According to him, the EU must change its approach in this process.

So until you change the time limit for the parties to fulfill the commitments they make from the agreements they get, take punitive measures against the party that doesn't fulfill the obligations, I think that's how we're going to probably have to go on with”, Demhay says.

The similar stance includes Janjaq from the Forum for Ethnic Relations in Belgrade.

He says the EU, at this stage, could come out to sit down together Bisimi and Petkov, but not the political leaders of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurtin, and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq.

A subsequent attempt at the meeting has failed because, as it has been said, some conditions Kurti has issued, which Vuchic has rejected.

But, Janzic says that even in the case of the chief negotiators' meeting, he does not expect any positive results.

I don't think so. What can they know? Can you say it openly [EU spokeswoman Peter] Stano, do they know that the parallel institutions are unlegal? It cannot, because they have participated in that turmoil in the opinion, but also of Vuciqi, that there will be Association of Serb majority municipalities. Why didn't he talk about education? It's not a subject at all. They now want to talk about the seized objects and whether anyone will cross the bridge?”, says Janjak for Radio Free Europe.

By the end of last week, the issue of Serb parallel institutions in Kosovo has been restored, as Kosovo authorities have closed five in the northern part of the country.

Serb residents of the area for years have received different services in them, and their closure has prompted harsh reactions from the international community against Kosovo.

This, in spite of the fact that to eliminate these structures, there is an agreement that has been reached in Brussels since 2013, but its implementation has stalled.

The international community, however, requires that all issues related to the situation in the north be addressed within the dialogue on normalisation of relations.

Similarly, it has sought to address the issue of opening the Ibër Bridge for the flow of cars, which the Government of Kosovo has warned it will do.

Janzic also says that the approach of the European Union in mediating Kosovo-Serbia dialogue is completely bureaucratic and without “cope or carrot”, respectively, without punishment and reward.

According to him, the EU, but also the QUINT countries -- the US, Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain -- must support the essence of dialogue, resolving the most important issues that would naturally lead to sustainable normalisation of reports.

“E these are: succession ʹ so, what will happen to property, resolving the status of Serbs as part of Kosovo's status, as well as the third part dealing with fundamental things, so economy, benefits, etc. Security should come naturally through NATO-Kosovo communication and NATO-Serbia”, Janjic says.

The European Union has been insisting that all agreements reached under the dialogue on normalising relations, which has started since 2011, must be implemented.

Such agreements are in dozens, but very few have been implemented.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said at a security forum at the weekend that Kosovo does not have equal treatment in dialogue with Serbia.

REL asked for comment on these claims by EU spokesman Peter Stano, but did not receive.

And, the EU says the path of Kosovo and Serbia towards European integration depends on normalising relations.

Kosovo has applied for EU membership at the end of 2022, but has not received answers.

Serbia has started negotiations on membership in the bloc at the beginning of 2014, but the last set of chapters has opened in December 2021.

Serbia's growth in the process has been largely due to disagreement with EU foreign policy, and especially because of its failure to impose sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. / REL/