On June 18 and 19, the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, visited Belgrade and Pristina. Initially, this was supposed to be his last visit to the region, considering that his mandate was scheduled to end in August 2024.
However, during a conversation for Sbunker’s Kosovo Dispatch, Lajcak said that he would continue to serve in his current role. Lajcak’s mandate has been extended until January 2025.
Lajcak first visited Pristina where he planned to meet with President Osmani and Prime Minister Kurti. However, both of them canceled their meetings with Lajcak.
One of the advisors of President Osmani said that due to a conflicting agenda, the President was unable to meet Lajcak.
On the other hand, PM Kurti was also not available to meet with Lajcak because he went to Germany to watch the football game between Croatia and Albania during the European Championship.
The highest political figures in Kosovo had more important business than to meet the EU Special Representative who was on a planned visit to Pristina. Lajcak only met with the first Deputy PM Besnik Bislimi.
Kurti and Osmani's indifference towards Lajcak’s visit is disrespectful and undiplomatic, to say the least.
To complicate things even worse for Lajcak, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy – Joseph Borell – recommended lifting the restrictive measures introduced against Kosovo a year ago. Considering that this recommendation came amid Lajcak’s visit to the region, it looked like Borell and Lajcak did not coordinate.
This move by Borell may be seen as an attempt to appease Pristina. However, it negatively affected Lajcak’s credibility without fulfilling its purpose – to incite more political will for advancing the dialogue and implementation of the Agreement on the path to normalization.
The following day, Lajcak went to Belgrade where his visit went better. He first met with President Vucic and later in the day, he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Djuric and the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic.
Despite Vucic’s statement that the two of them had an "open and correct” discussion, there was no media conference following the meeting.
At the end of the day, this visit can be assessed as futile. It did not bring anything new to the dialogue and further damaged the credibility, not only of Lajcak, who will soon end his mandate despite the extension, but the EU as a facilitator.
Once again, it became apparent that the EU lacks concrete policy instruments for stimulating the dialogue and bringing the process on track.
Another failed round of negotiations in Brussels
Following the Lajcak’s fruitless visit to the two capitals, EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borell organized a new round of dialogue in Brussels. This was the first high-level meeting between the two sides in nine months.
However, this attempt proved unsuccessful as well, since Kurti and Vucic declined to meet in a trilateral format with Borell and Lajcak. Another failed round of dialogue after seven rounds of technical discussions without progress prompted the media and analysts to dub it unsuccessful.
There has been no progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue since the beginning of 2024, proving that the dialogue is in a deadlock.
Two key factors to explain this situation. First, neither side is interested in properly engaging in the dialogue without first receiving some assurances and promises.
For Pristina, lifting sanctions is not enough of an incentive. For Serbia, on the other hand, opening Cluster 3 in negotiations with the EU is also not a sufficient award.
Second, both Kuti and Vucic are aware that Borell and Lajcak’s mandate are expiring soon, and that they will leave their posts in the next few months. Therefore, Belgrade and Pristina are waiting for new people to take the place of Borrell and Lajcak and establish a new relationship with them.
All these developments lead to one crucial conclusion for the EU: The EU is facing a credibility crisis.
