The European Union is unraveling the mistakes in the Brussels dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, in order to give life to the process of normalizing relations between the two neighboring countries, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said on Monday in Podgorica.
Asked about the stalled 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 envoy for the dialogue, Peter Sorensen, who took office in February.
“What is important for us is the normalization of relations, because without this neither of them can move forward on the path towards the EU,” Kallas said.
Kallas did not provide further details on what he thinks were the mistakes or what has not gone well so far in the bloc-mediated dialogue.
Despite the dialogue developed over the years and the signing of agreements, the process has stalled and tensions have increased.
Under EU mediation, Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement in 2023 on a path toward normalizing relations. But since then, the bloc has criticized both countries for failing to implement the agreement, despite it being binding on them.
Kallas, in an interview with Radio Free Europe on April 2, said that the European Union is interested in normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia, whether through dialogue or some other instrument.
“Maybe it’s dialogue, maybe it’s another tool. I am ready to examine this issue, and I will do so together with the Special Representative [for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Peter Sorensen] in the coming days,” Kallas had said.
Due to the crises in northern Kosovo, which increased tensions between the two countries, no round of political dialogue has taken place in Brussels since September 2023, but there have only been talks at the level of chief negotiators.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, is visiting several countries in the Western Balkans from April 7 to 9.
On her first visit to the Region as head of European diplomacy, Kallas will stay in Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
She did not announce her visit to Kosovo and Serbia.
All six Western Balkan countries – except Kosovo – as well as Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Turkey are candidates for EU membership.
Kosovo has applied for membership in the European bloc, but its application has not yet been reviewed.
