The European Union is dissecting the mistakes made in the Brussels dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia in order to revive the process of normalizing relations between the two neighboring countries, said the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, on Monday in Podgorica.
Asked about the stagnation of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Kallas said during a press conference that “what we are doing this month is analyzing,” together with the EU’s special representative for the dialogue, Peter Sorensen, who took on the role in February.
“What’s important for us is the normalization of relations because without that, neither of them can move forward on the path to the EU,” Kallas said.
Kallas did not provide further details on what she thinks the mistakes were or what has gone wrong so far in the dialogue mediated by the EU.
Despite years of dialogue and agreements being signed, the process has stagnated, and tensions have increased.
Under the EU’s mediation, Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement in 2023 on the path toward normalizing relations. However, since then, the EU has criticized both countries for not implementing the agreement, even though it is binding for them.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe on April 2, Kallas stated that the European Union is interested in the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, whether through dialogue or another instrument.
“Perhaps it is dialogue, perhaps it is another tool. I am ready to look into this issue, and I will do this together with the Special Representative [for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Peter Sorensen] in the coming days,” Kallas had said.
Due to the crises in the northern part of Kosovo, which raised tensions between the two countries, no political dialogue round has taken place in Brussels since September 2023. Only discussions at the chief negotiator level have occurred.
With her visit to Podgorica, Kallas began her official tour of the Western Balkan countries – her first visit to the region in her capacity as EU’s foreign policy chief.
From April 7 to 9, Kallas will also visit Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
She has not announced any visit to Kosovo or Serbia.
