Sorensen’s first visit to Pristina: Energetic start, many unresolved issues

Peter Sorensen, the European Union's Special Representative for the Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, continued the route of his predecessor Miroslav Lajcak – first a visit to Pristina, then Belgrade. At the end of the first day of his three-day visit to Kosovo, Sorensen described his discussions with local officials as a "good start." During his first visit to Kosovo, Sorensen did not reveal plans for the continuation of the dialogue but instead "gauged the pulse" of both the government and the opposition to see whether this process could move forward.

The European draft statute for the Community of Serbian Municipalities, the security situation in Kosovo, and the prospects for the lifting of the European Union's punitive measures against Kosovo were the topics Sorensen discussed with the President and Prime Minister of Kosovo, opposition representatives, and the commander of KFOR.

Despite Sorensen’s visible energy and his extensive experience, according to sources from Kosovo Online, much effort will be required to unfreeze the dialogue and implement the agreements reached – or to start from scratch.

"I have interlocutors in Pristina, but I also have to go to Belgrade. Once I finish those talks, I will be able to assess where we stand. However, it is very clear that the dialogue process has brought a series of significant events, and we must continue building on that," Sorensen said yesterday.

As he added, the essence of the dialogue is to reach a compromise, but it is up to the parties to decide on that.

After his discussions with opposition representatives, he emphasized that they understand that the normalization process is important for Kosovo and that everyone must support it.

Today, he visited the Brnjak crossing and afterward, he wrote on the social media platform "X" that what remains must be resolved without delay, namely, allowing people and goods to move freely.

During his meeting with Sorensen, Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani reiterated "the need to lift the unjust measures" imposed on Kosovo by the EU in June 2023, emphasizing the damage they cause to the dialogue process, making it "imbalanced." Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti also used his conversation with the EU mediator for the dialogue to highlight that the punitive measures should be lifted immediately.

Dragisa Mijacic, Coordinator of the Working Group of the National Convention on the EU for Chapter 35, however, told Kosovo Online that while it is natural for Kosovo officials to raise concerns about the EU's punitive measures, as this is a significant issue for Kosovo, Sorensen is not the only address where this issue can be resolved.

"Kosovo is expected to fulfill certain conditions in order to see the lifting of these punitive measures, but on the other hand, it also depends on the EU member states themselves. When the time comes, Sorensen can say whether Kosovo has met some obligations or not, but the final decision rests with the European Council, which consists of the heads of state and government of the member states; it is up to them to decide whether they want to lift those punitive measures," Mijacic noted.

Regarding the closure of Serbian institutions in Kosovo, Sorensen, in response to journalists' questions, said that work needs to be done on that issue to ensure that people receive services in the best possible way. Mijacic pointed out that this remains one of the most pressing issues.

"It is expected that the issue of providing services to Serbs and others who use services funded by the Government of the Republic of Serbia and operate in Kosovo and Metohija will be resolved through the functioning of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, and the functioning of the Community is one of the key issues in the dialogue. Sorensen may have given a diplomatic answer, but it is indeed accurate – that efforts will be made to institutionalize those services received, primarily by Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo, supported by the Government of the Republic of Serbia, to the extent that there are no violent raids or unilateral acts to close them. This is one of the significant issues that Mr. Sorensen will address, and we will see if he succeeds in this," Mijacic emphasized.

One of the biggest surprises, according to him, is the fact that Sorensen's visit to Kosovo lasts three days, and it will be interesting to see if he will spend the same amount of time in Belgrade and whom he will meet, whether only government representatives or also opposition leaders and other stakeholders.

"Sorensen is visiting the region for the first time and has taken the same route as Lajcak, with the first visit being to Pristina and then Belgrade. He has already met with representatives of Pristina at the Munich Security Conference, where Serbia's foreign minister and minister for European integration were also present, so he had initial talks with both Serbian and Kosovo representatives. However, this is his first visit to Kosovo, where he is on a mission to learn about the various factors, expectations, and what needs to be done within this process," Mijacic noted.

According to Nemanja Bisevac, former President of the Assembly of the Municipality of North Mitrovica, Sorensen likely has stronger support from the European Union than his predecessor Miroslav Lajcak to revive the dialogue, but he also assesses that the authorities in Pristina have shown in the past that they are not at all inclined to engage in dialogue, even though Belgrade has fulfilled everything required of it over the last 12 years.

"I think it will require a lot of effort, even though Mr. Sorensen is an experienced diplomat, to get the dialogue moving again and in the right direction. We saw that he met with opposition leaders, which means that the European Union also doesn't have a clear vision of who will be in power in Pristina," Bisevac said for Kosovo Online.

Compared to Lajcak, Sorensen shows greater energy, according to Bisevac, but he notes that this could just be initial energy and that we will need to see how the situation unfolds.

"When he goes to Belgrade, Sorensen's messages will likely be the same as in Pristina, but based on experiences from previous years, he will probably be tougher on Belgrade, even though Belgrade is the one that has done everything to keep the dialogue alive and ensure it still exists to some extent," Bisevac added.

University professor Mazlum Baraliu told Kosovo Online that Kosovo's authorities and institutions need to analyze the messages and recommendations that Sorensen conveyed during his visit to Pristina. Regardless of those messages, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, should become involved to reform the dialogue process.

"It should start from scratch. We need to see whether the last agreement from Brussels, the so-called French-German, as well as the U.S. proposal, can be reactivated, or if we need to work from scratch on another draft agreement that will be definitive and final in terms of mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia and resolving this issue that burdens both Kosovo and, primarily, Serbia, as it is the only unresolved issue between the former Yugoslav republics and provinces that remains for Serbia," Baraliu said.

According to his assessment, the European Union in its previous composition was unsuccessful in terms of the foreign policy of Josep Borrell, particularly regarding the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as the Brussels agreement and its Ohrid annex.

"These agreements are essentially non-existent because Serbia stated in Brussels that it would not accept them. Also, the sequence of steps that should have been taken by Pristina and Belgrade was not implemented by either side. Therefore, the previous policy was short-lived, without vision, and without a concrete result. Clearly, the EU's foreign policy continues in a deep crisis, and as a result, it has not changed its approach. Continuing this policy means failure and a waste of time for Kosovo, Serbia, their people, and the EU itself. If this continues and the same demands remain for Kosovo, and even for Serbia, I believe it will not end successfully," Baraliu concluded.