NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called for progress in the EU-mediated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, stating that the process is not advancing as the alliance supports. In a media statement, Rutte expressed satisfaction with Germany’s efforts to bring Western Balkan countries closer to the European Union and NATO, referencing the recent meeting under the Berlin Process.
“We must be aware of the tensions in the Western Balkans and the fact that the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, which we support, is not progressing as we would like. I am very pleased with the meeting held in Berlin this week under Chancellor Scholz’s leadership with the countries of the Western Balkans, as I know that Germany is working especially hard to bring that group closer to the EU and NATO, for those who are not yet in NATO,” Rutte said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also called for a renewed dynamic in the dialogue process during the Berlin Process Summit, reiterating that Kosovo’s and Serbia’s European future is tied to results in the dialogue.
According to Adnan Rrustemi, a member of the Vetëvendosje Movement, the international community’s pressure for progress in the dialogue should be directed at Serbia, which is seen as the destructive party in the dialogue process.
“The dialogue process is at a crossroads due to Serbia’s irresponsible behavior, which refuses to sign the Brussels Agreement, fails to implement it, and actively seeks to violate it. This agreement has already been violated multiple times by Serbia, and we have not seen a decisive response from the EU as the facilitator of this process. Kosovo should not pay the price for Serbia’s destructiveness,” Rrustemi stated.
Meanwhile, the European Union has announced additional conditions for Kosovo and Serbia regarding access to financial resources from the EU growth plan. According to EU spokesperson Ana Pisonero, the distribution of these funds—around nine million euros allocated for Kosovo—will only occur after an assessment by the EU External Action Service, which monitors the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
“What I can say is that these prerequisites will be evaluated by the Commission before disbursements, and we will consider the role and contribution of the EU External Action Service,” Pisonero said.
Additionally, the European Union maintains punitive measures against Kosovo, despite the government believing that all conditions for their removal have been met.
Adnan Rrustemi from Vetëvendosje argued that linking the dialogue to benefits from the EU fund and not lifting punitive measures deepens the injustice against Kosovo.
“This linkage is incorrect. The measures have been unjust from the start. They should be lifted as soon as possible because Kosovo is a constructive party. The EU growth plan is based on reforms. Kosovo has submitted its reform plan, which has been approved by the EU, and I believe that the linkage to the Growth Plan should be based on the fulfillment of reforms, not deviated to a process that does not depend solely on Kosovo,” Rrustemi told RTV21.
Progress in the dialogue process is also being sought by the United States. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith stated on Wednesday that Kosovo’s institutions clearly understand the calls for greater investment in dialogue so that Kosovo can be part of the NATO Partnership for Peace program.
“We certainly value the Partnership for Peace program. We are pleased to see a strong interest from Kosovo in joining the Partnership for Peace. But I think our friends in Kosovo have heard our loud and clear calls. We want them to continue investing in the dialogue facilitated by the European Union,” Smith said.
