Intensification of visits from the EU, US and Britain for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue

In the last two weeks, there has been an intensification of the visits of Western diplomats to Kosovo and Serbia to push forward the already suspended dialogue, to reach a final agreement between the two countries.

After the visits of the American envoy for the Balkans Gabriel Escobar and the European one for the Miroslav Lajcak dialogue, Kosovo was also visited by the British Ambassador to the Western Balkans, Sir Stuart Peach, who discussed with the heads of Kosovo institutions the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

Mutual recognition

The meeting was behind closed doors, so the British diplomat did not speak to the media, while President Vjosa Osmani, in a statement said that Kosovo is committed to dialogue, as a process focused on mutual recognition and that this process, according to her, “should treat the parties equally ”.

Sir Stuart Peach and Vjosa Osmani

“The Kosovar side is constructive in the dialogue and that Serbia is causing obstructions by not implementing the signed agreements”, it is said in a statement of the presidency and in this context it is said that the President mentioned the negative influence of Russia in the region as an open trend for the destabilization of the region ”.

President Osmani stated that “The United Kingdom is among our key allies, with a key role in the process of liberation, independence and state-building of Kosovo. “The greater the role of this state in the important processes of our region, the greater and more useful the results will be for our citizens.”

Kosovo engaged in the dialogue process in Brussels

The dialogue with Serbia was the topic of discussion of the British Ambassador to the Western Balkans, Sir Stuart Peach, and Prime Minister Albin Kurti, without the presence of the media. The Kosovar Prime Minister on this topic said that Kosovo’s citizenship should remain intact.

Sir Stuart Peach and Albin Kurti

“The Government of the Republic of Kosovo is engaged in the dialogue process in Brussels. “Dialogue must be principled and respect the equality of the parties and where the ultimate beneficiaries are the citizens and not the politicians,” said Prime Minister Kurti, reiterating that “territorial integrity, sovereignty, state functioning, constitutionality and legality, all the time and everywhere, remain pristine ”. According to him, “based on the long experience in the Western Balkans region, Envoy Peach expressed his readiness and willingness to assist in the dialogue process,” reads the announcement of the Prime Minister.

Serbia for sustainable and acceptable solutions

The British Ambassador to the Western Balkans, Sir Stuart Peach, before coming to Kosovo, was in Serbia where he met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. According to the announcement of the Serbian Presidency, in the meeting with the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vuiqi., Peach stated that together with the partners from the EU and the USA, he will work in support of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

At the meeting, according to the Serbian presidency, Vucic said that “Serbia continues to strive for a lasting and mutually acceptable solution and remains fully committed to dialogue as the only way to resolve all outstanding issues.” ”. In Serbia, Sir Stuart Peach has said that in his new role as envoy to the Western Balkans he will co-operate with the EU representative to support the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia towards finding a lasting solution.

The issue of the Association of Serbian Municipalities

Gabriel Escobar, US Charge d’Affaires for the Western Balkans and European Commissioner for Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, said during visits last week that both Kosovo and Serbia should implement the agreements reached so far. This includes Association of Serb Majority Municipalities,but without damaging the integrity and functionality of Kosovo. The issue of the Association of Serbian Municipalities is the point that divides Kosovo and Serbia in their positions and one of the main reasons for the stagnation of the dialogue mediated by the European Union.

Gabriel Escobar and Miroslav Lajqak

Serbia wants the Association to have executive powers, but this is rejected by Pristina. Miroslav Lajçak, said that during the talks with Kosovar political leaders he made it clear that “we fully respect the principles of Kosovo which are integrity, constitutional order and functionality.”

“Kosovo is an equal party in the talks, which means that nothing can be imposed on Kosovo without its consent. I often hear that we do not want a Serbian Republic and I think I have been very clear often that no one wants a Serbian Republic in Kosovo. “There is a universal principle that everything that has been agreed upon must be implemented and we say this to both parties,” said Mr. Lajcak.

Escobar: Independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo

The implementation of the Kosovo-Serbia agreements, which includes the Association of Serbian Municipalities signed as an agreement of principles in 2013, was also requested by the American diplomat, Gabriel Escobar, but he said that “it is a matter of negotiations what could be the model of the establishment of an association of Serb-majority municipalities ”.

“My intention with mentioning the fact that there are many opportunities for the establishment of the association, was to say that it should not be a model that harms the sovereignty and functionality of Kosovo. We need to find such a model that can be negotiated and agreed upon. This is the purpose of the talks. “It is not the intention of the United States to impose such a thing.” Gabriel Escobar. He reiterated that “this administration, like previous administrations, strongly supports Kosovo’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity”, adding that “beyond this, it is part of the talks on how both countries, Serbia and Kosovo, achieve normalization”.

A little history

The EU-mediated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia started in 2011 and so far 23 agreements have been reached at the technical and political level, but only some of them are being implemented.

Seeing the stalemate in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, in April 2020 the EU announced that it had formally appointed Miroslav Lajcaku as the EU Special Representative for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and other regional issues in the Western Balkans. The EU Council in a press release stressed that the task of the new EU Special Representative will be to achieve a comprehensive normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo.

Gabriel Escobar, Miroslav Lajqak, Vjosa Osmani

Later, in September 2021, the United States officially announced that Gabriel Escobar was the US envoy to the Western Balkans. The State Department statement on Europe and Eurasia said Escobar “is working on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, which is being facilitated by the EU, to secure regional EU membership and pressure on Bosnian leaders to push forward reform and respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Two months later, in December 2021, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Sir Stuart Peach Special Envoy for the Western Balkans as part of the UK’s ongoing commitment to the development and prosperity of the region. The press release stated that “as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, Sir Stuart Peach will work with Western Balkan leaders, and others in the region, and allies in the US and Europe, to support and strengthen regional stability.

“For Serbia and Kosovo, he will work with international partners in support of the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, mediated by the European Union,” the UK said in a statement.DW

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