Sonja Biserko, chair of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, spoke to RTK about the dialogue and reconciliation process between Kosovo and Serbia.
Biserko reflected on her visits to Kosovo dating back to the 1990s and continuing to the present. She praised the positive changes in Kosovar society and expressed her admiration for the youth. She discussed the position of the Serbian minority in Kosovo, noting that Serbs in the north and south are not in the same position.
“In the north, Serbs are controlled by Belgrade and have been hindered from integrating into Kosovo’s institutions, despite having all the constitutional guarantees for their rights,” she said.
She also pointed out that Kosovo’s institutions need to be careful in their approach to the Serbian minority, as they were once in a dominant position and have long been living in a sort of vacuum.
Biserko mentioned that the division of Kosovo, which had long been anticipated, was halted by Chancellor Merkel.
According to Biserko, the dialogue cannot be said to have taken a clear path, and it cannot be assessed as having made any progress.
“Now it is moving towards a new direction, especially after the Banjska incident, which has definitively removed the division of Kosovo from the negotiation table,” said Biserko. She added that Belgrade has given up on Kosovo by preventing Kosovo Serbs from participating in elections.
“By excluding them from the institutions of this country and leaving them in a vulnerable community, Kosovo’s institutions must be cautious in their approach to them, as it would cause significant trauma,” emphasized Biserko.
Biserko revealed that recently there has been talk in Serbia about building housing in Sandžak for Kosovo Serbs and transferring the University of Mitrovica to Novi Pazar, as well as relocating the health center there.
She sees opportunities for reconciliation between the two peoples, emphasizing her work on the issue and noting that there are facts and parameters that need to be established to guide the process.
However, she highlighted the deep wounds inflicted on the people of Kosovo by the Serbian state over the centuries, noting that Serbs have not apologized for these actions.
Biserko stated that Serbian minorities who wish to live in Kosovo can do so, emphasizing that there are laws that create opportunities for integration. However, she stressed that political will alone is not enough; society must also be more accessible in this regard.
Biserko criticized the EU’s approach to the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. She stated that Lajčak has not been successful without American assistance, mentioning agreements reached in Brussels and Ohrid that have not been implemented.
She noted that all countries of the former Yugoslavia criticize the international community’s approach towards Serbia.
Regarding the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, Biserko said that the international community has implemented this ethnic idea since the start of the wars, highlighting the Dayton Agreement.
“What makes me doubt this solution is that from the beginning, Belgrade sought the Association as an ethnic division, a kind of ‘Republika Srpska,’ and unfortunately, there is no guarantee that this will not happen, and the international community has done nothing, even in Bosnia,” said Biserko.
