Kallas prepares for a visit to Belgrade and Pristina: How will she revive the stalled Dialogue?

After stating that the dialogue on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina needs new energy, and that the EU is assessing what has gone wrong in the process and what has worked, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, announced yesterday that she will visit both cities in May. Her message—that the EU enlargement process must accelerate for the Western Balkans—could serve as an incentive for both sides to move away from entrenched positions, but also potentially introduce the definition of "penalties," analysts told Kosovo Online. It will be up to Kallas to determine what will bring results.

Written by: Dusica Radeka Djordjevic

On Sunday evening, the EU High Representative hosted an informal dinner for foreign ministers of the Western Balkans, and following the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting yesterday, she emphasized that the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina is of utmost importance and that the dialogue must continue.

The EU Council also released a statement confirming the need for the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

Kallas has so far refrained from elaborating on how she envisions the continuation of the dialogue or how the normalization process might be finalized. However, her remark that neither side can progress on its EU path without normalization may not be a mere diplomatic formality.

According to Stefan Vladisavljev, Programme Coordinator at the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence (BFPE), some form of pressure from Brussels will be necessary to move the dialogue forward, as the process is currently stagnant.

“There needs to be a clear definition of what the benefits are, but also what the negative consequences will be if the agreed-upon steps are not implemented,” he told Kosovo Online.

He added that the EU has limited means to offer incentives or threaten punitive measures beyond the scope of the accession process.

“Whether those are financial incentives, as we saw with the Reform Agenda and the Development Plan, or potential pauses in the negotiation process—these are instruments available under the accession framework. Ultimately, those drafting and defining the framework will have to decide what would be most effective in moving the dialogue in a positive direction,” Vladisavljev explained.

He noted that both the new EU envoy for the dialogue and High Representative Kaja Kallas face a serious task—revitalizing the dialogue and ensuring that what is agreed upon is actually implemented.

“It is evident that there is a need to generate political will on both sides to actively finalize this process. All guarantees owed to the Serbian community in Kosovo are the obligation of one party, while the other—Belgrade—needs to reach a higher level of recognition of certain elements of Kosovo’s position. Whether this will be quantified through benefits or punitive measures remains for the EU and the European Commission to determine,” he concluded.

Marko Milenković of the NGO New Social Initiative believes that EU officials’ repeated messages that the Balkans remain a strategic priority and that enlargement is a vital agenda item might encourage both Belgrade and Pristina to re-engage in the dialogue constructively.

Milenković emphasized that the process needs a new impetus and a different approach, noting that key elements the EU could have offered to stakeholders were missing in previous stages of the dialogue.

“I believe that’s the key reason why we haven’t seen a constructive, strategic approach from the actors involved. That can change in the near future, especially with the introduction of new formats. A shift in approach is certainly necessary,” Milenković told Kosovo Online, adding that the EU appears to be regaining energy and may offer new elements to reinvigorate the process.

He also noted that Kaja Kallas seems to have recognized the need for a unified EU approach toward the Western Balkans, which has prompted her to organize meetings with foreign ministers of EU member states—especially after recent months revealed some divergence in national approaches.

At the same time, Milenković highlighted the importance of the United States’ stance on the future of the dialogue and noted that the Trump administration will be involved in the process.

“So far, the U.S. appears to be taking a reserved approach, with other priorities in focus. Whether the U.S. administration will shift its approach and devote more attention to Kosovo in the coming period remains to be seen. That, too, could influence the EU’s strategy. Previously, when the Trump administration was actively involved, it sidelined the EU from the dialogue process. There are still open questions about what role the EU will play and whether everything will ultimately depend on it—and to what extent,” he said.

For Afrim Hoti, professor of international relations at the University of Pristina, there is no doubt that now is the time to change the format of the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue, given the lack of results. He stressed that the new institutions in Brussels must focus on implementing existing agreements and reaching new ones that could bring the normalization process to a close.

“With the new EU institutions, it appears the dynamic and format of the dialogue will change. That seems realistic, as several agreements already exist between Serbia and Kosovo, but what we lack is their proper implementation,” Hoti told Kosovo Online.

According to him, the format of the dialogue is less important than the EU institutions' commitment to ensuring that agreements are implemented.

“It doesn’t matter whether someone supervises the implementation or whether it is done by Kaja Kallas herself—what is crucial is that we move toward implementing the agreements and then achieving full normalization. In light of the war in Ukraine, it seems the EU is taking enlargement to the Western Balkans more seriously. And that enlargement cannot be imagined without full normalization and mutual recognition between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia,” Hoti concluded.