“Overall relations between Serbia and Kosovo have a profound impact on the stability and security of the region. That is why we are concerned about the current situation,” Jan Lipavski, Minister of foreign affairs of the Czech Republic, told Danas.
He added that”the key to finding a solution that would enable ordinary people of Serbia and Kosovo to live peaceful and prosperous lives is the constructive and responsible engagement of the governments in Belgrade and Pristina in the dialogue for the normalization of mutual relations”.
Among other things, this means respecting and implementing the agreements reached through the dialogue so far, especially the agreement on the normalization path between Kosovo and Serbia from 2023 and its Ohrid annex for implementation.
“We know that this process is neither simple nor easy, but if there is political will and determination on both sides, progress is achievable” ” Lipavski said
How do you see the resolution of the Kosovo issue?
“We expect full normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, as this is a key condition for the integration of both countries in the EU. In general, we would like Serbia and Kosovo to experience something similar to what we have in our relations with Germany. In the 1990s, the Czechs and Germans managed to establish an effective reconciliation process that resulted in the Czech-German declaration on mutual relations of 1997, which among other things states that “both sides agree that injustices committed in the past belong in the past, and that they will therefore orient their relations towards the future” or that they “declare that they will not burden their relations with political and legal issues arising from the past”.
Since you have good diplomatic relations with Kosovo and Serbia, did the Czech Republic try to mediate between Belgrade and Pristina to bring their positions closer?
The mediator of the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue is the EU. We fully support the work of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. This means that the Czech Republic has no ambition to be directly involved in mediation, but is involved in open and honest discussions with our partners in Belgrade and Pristina, during which we try to explain the advantages of progress and normalization of relations, as well as reconciliation.
How do you see regional relations, as Serbia has many unresolved regional issues with its neighbors?
The Czech Republic is a country that has well understood that before joining the EU, it must reconcile with its neighbors. In our case, it was especially important in relation to Germany and Austria. In the 1990s, we also managed to go through the “plush divorce” with Slovakia without problems. I want to emphasize that reconciliation and establishing good and healthy relations with our close neighbors was essential for our successful EU integration. With this in mind, we encourage Serbia and other Western Balkan countries to approach the issue of neighbourly relations in a similar way. Our experience tells us that EU integration can reach its full potential only after overcoming the legacy of the past in a constructive and positive way.
To what extent do unresolved regional disputes affect Serbia’s path to the EU?
Of course, it’s never good to have arguments with neighbors. We must always make a serious effort to resolve grievances in our relations with our neighbors, because this approach benefits all involved. We have also witnessed situations where disagreements between EU member states and candidate countries have caused serious delays in the EU accession process. It is clear that the process of European integration should not be used to resolve bilateral issues, but unfortunately, such things happen. With this in mind, the governments of the candidate countries for EU membership, including Serbia, should focus on establishing constructive, practical and friendly relations with all neighbours.
How much does Serbia’s close relations with Russia affect your country’s relations with Serbia and its path towards the EU?
The Czech Republic supports Serbia’s efforts to become a member of the EU. In this context, I would like to emphasize that, in order to successfully integrate into the EU and contribute to its unity, the candidate country must align itself with the EU in a number of areas, including foreign and security policy, and adhere to the principles and values shared by the EU member states. Currently, Serbia is only partially connected to the EU’s common foreign and security policy, and due to the overall security situation in Europe, this complicates its relationship with the EU. This aspect of EU integration is something that is also important for the Czech Republic, and I, as always, will discuss this openly and honestly with my partners in Belgrade.
