EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, stated that Brussels is waiting for the formation of a new government in Prishtina in order to engage more actively with Kosovo regarding the dialogue for normalization of relations with Serbia.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe’s Balkan Service, Kos reiterated the EU’s position that normalization of relations remains a condition for both Kosovo and Serbia on their path toward EU membership.
“And we are working on this, particularly with our High Representative, Kaja Kallas. We are continuously engaged with Serbia on this matter, while with Kosovo less in recent months, since we are still waiting for the formation of a new government. But this remains one of the priorities in the entire Western Balkans Six process,” Kos said.
Kosovo and Serbia have been engaged in dialogue mediated by Brussels since 2011. The process initially began on a technical level and later advanced to political-level talks.
Over the years, the parties have reached several agreements, though not all have been implemented on the ground.
Since the elections held in February, Kosovo has not yet formed a new executive. Even during this interim period, while Kosovo is governed by a caretaker government, rounds of negotiations at the chief negotiators’ level have taken place in Brussels. The latest, held on September 11, produced no results.
In contrast to the meetings of chief negotiators, Kosovo and Serbia have not held political-level dialogue since September 2023. The last political round took place just days before the armed attack in Banjska, Zvečan, when a Kosovo police officer was killed.
Kosovo blames Serbia for the attack, but Belgrade denies any involvement.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, after assuming office at the beginning of this year, told Radio Free Europe that the dialogue process has stalled and that the EU is considering other tools for normalization. She later added that Brussels is analyzing the mistakes made in this process.
