Aleksandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, and Albin Kurti, the prime minister of Kosovo, resumed their dialogue this Thursday in an effort to normalize their relationship. However, no progress was made in resolving the disagreement over license plates and other documents issued by the Kosovar authorities that has caused tension in northern Kosovo this summer.
“Sadly, we were unable to come to an agreement today. I apologize. But the narrative is not over yet. The process must proceed, according to both leaders, and the conversation will pick back up in the upcoming days “Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy, who facilitates communication between Belgrade and Pristina, stated.
The controversial kosovar law will resume enforcement on September 1, so the head of diplomacy has assured that “he is not throwing in the towel” and has demonstrated his determination to continue talking about finding a “intelligent” solution to the problem. He also noted that “there is a deadline” before that date.
The event was marked by the Serbian population blocking border crossings in protest of a law that had been delayed for a month and required Serbian citizens entering Kosovo to surrender their identity documents, which would be replaced by ones issued in Pristina.
Borrell has acknowledged that this Thursday’s meeting was more than just another session of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina that the EU is facilitating because it took place at a “dramatic and dangerous moment for Europe” during the conflict in Ukraine. Borrell also told Vucic and Kurti that they are in charge of defusing the situation, saying that “this is not the time to increase tensions, but to find solutions and solve entrenched problems.”
Despite the fact that the EU views the normalization of relations between Belgrade and its former province as a crucial component for both countries’ entry into the EU and for establishing long-term political and economic stability throughout the Balkan region, this was the first face-to-face meeting between Vucic and Kurti in Brussels in more than a year.
In this regard, the High Representative has emphasized that both presidents’ ultimate goal must be to take their countries—Belgrade and Pristina—down the European route. He has said in reference to the enrollment dilemma that “they have to find a means to move on on the road” and that “the first step is to fix the current predicament.”
Since they started more than ten years ago, the talks between Serbs and Kosovars in Brussels have gone through various phases without coming to a significant accord. Due to the political unrest in the area, there have been times throughout this time when there haven’t been any encounters for up to a year and a half.