Former senior official of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Edward P. Joseph, explained how Serbia could be confronted with reality in the Western Balkans.
The American expert emphasized that Serbia has no strategic alternative other than integration into the European Union, adding that “Serbia cannot become the Belarus of Europe.”
According to him, the entity[“country”,”United States”,”country”], the EU, and especially NATO should use their influence to push Belgrade toward a clear political decision.
“I have argued that these actors need to exert coordinated pressure. I have also emphasized that Kosovo’s advancement toward NATO would force Serbia to confront reality,” Joseph stated.
Commenting on the proposal by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama for Serbia and Albania to join the EU without veto rights, Joseph described the idea as a “Trojan horse.”
According to him, such an approach could cause divisions within the EU itself, especially in the context of future enlargement.
He added that in Serbia’s case, the goal appears to be to slow down Montenegro’s rapid progress toward the EU, drawing a comparison to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stance on Ukraine’s EU membership.
“For Vučić, such a development would represent a strategic loss and a political humiliation,” Joseph concluded.
