Discussion between Albin Kurti and Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels: the difficult path towards easing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia
On the sidelines of a European Union summit in Brussels, Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic began separate talks with European officials in the hope of finding an agreement to ease tensions between their two country. Unfortunately, despite the efforts made, the parties were unable to reach an agreement.
Negotiations focused on the creation of an association of Serbian municipalities in northern Kosovo, a long-standing demand from Belgrade. However, the Kosovar government has set the recognition of Kosovo’s independence by Serbia as a prerequisite for any negotiation. Faced with these conditions deemed unacceptable, no significant progress was made and the discussions ended in an impasse.
Both parties blamed each other for the failure of the negotiations. The Kosovar Prime Minister’s office said that despite Albin Kurti’s generous offer, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic refused to sign an agreement with Kosovo. For his part, the latter declared that he was ready to accept any agreement with the exception of Kosovo’s presence at the UN and the question of Kosovo’s independence.
This impasse in the normalization process between Kosovo and Serbia is of great concern to the European Union, which has led the negotiations since 2011. Despite a plan accepted by both parties last March, no concrete progress has been made until here.
Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia date back to the 1999 war, which ended with NATO intervention. Since then, relations between Pristina and Belgrade have experienced periods of recurring crises, notably due to Serbia’s refusal to recognize the independence proclaimed by Kosovo in 2008. The presence of a Serbian community in the north of Kosovo, around 120,000 people, further adds to the complexity of the situation.
Last September, tensions peaked with the attack on a village in Kosovo by a Serbian commando, during which a Kosovar police officer lost his life. This attack, attributed to Serbia by Pristina, fueled strong reactions from the Kosovar authorities. An investigation is currently underway to shed light on this tragic event.
Faced with this impasse and the precariousness of the situation, it is essential to find solutions to ease tensions between Kosovo and Serbia. The discussions between Albin Kurti and Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels were an opportunity to make progress, but unfortunately they did not come to fruition. Now is the time to redouble our efforts and find new approaches to move towards constructive dialogue and peaceful resolution of differences between these two neighboring countries.