The European Union confirmed on Tuesday that the next round of talks between Kosovo and Serbia at the level of chief negotiators will take place on December 17 in Brussels. Both parties have confirmed their participation in the meeting.
EU spokesperson for Foreign Policy and Security, Anitta Hipper, stated that the upcoming meeting will address a range of issues, including the implementation of the Agreement on the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
The last meeting at the chief negotiator level was held on October 23 in Brussels. Kosovo will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, while Serbia will be represented by Petar Petković, the Director of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government.
According to diplomatic sources from Radio Free Europe, EU Special Representative for Dialogue Miroslav Lajčak reported to EU member states about the status of the dialogue, highlighting a clear lack of willingness from both parties to make progress on the implementation of the normalization agreement.
Both countries reached an agreement on this framework in Brussels in February of last year, and an annex on implementation was agreed in Ohrid, North Macedonia, the following month. However, neither side has taken significant steps toward implementing the agreement, with each blaming the other for the lack of progress.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has expressed a commitment to engaging actively in the dialogue process. Lajčak’s mandate, which has been extended multiple times, is set to conclude at the end of January next year.
There is anticipation that Borrell, in collaboration with EU member states, will make decisions regarding the continuation of the dialogue process, including whether there will be a successor to Lajčak and who that might be.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, declared in 2008. The two countries have been negotiating in Brussels since 2011, with several agreements reached, but not all have been implemented.
