Vuksanovic: It is possible that the Trump administration will work on reviving the Open Balkan

Senior researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, Vuk Vuksanovic, tells Kosovo Online that it is possible the administration of newly elected US President Donald Trump may attempt to implement initiatives in the Balkans focused on the economy and that this could potentially include not only reviving the Open Balkan initiative but also the Washington Agreement.

However, Vuksanovic points out that this will depend on several factors, including whether "a figure like Richard Grenell will hold a significant position in the new administration’s Balkan policy," as well as how much the Trump administration will want to engage deeply with Balkan issues.

"I wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility that the Trump administration might pursue certain initiatives in the Balkans, partly for self-promotion. During Trump’s first term, both he and Grenell promoted themselves as leaders who prefer pragmatic deals, particularly deals they consider better and more efficient than those brokered by Europe, which they often viewed with disdain for its inefficiency and excessive bureaucracy. In that regard, Trump’s focus on business and the economy could be revived, potentially encompassing not just the Open Balkan initiative but also a renewed invocation of the Washington Agreement. Provisions from that agreement, such as those related to the flow of goods and services, might be used to remove some of the economic blockades that Kurti’s government occasionally imposes on Serbian institutions and municipalities in northern Kosovo," Vuksanovic explained.

He emphasizes that it cannot be definitively stated that this will be a priority for the Trump administration or that it will happen at all, however, he does not rule out the possibility that smaller initiatives could lead to occasional engagement by Trump’s administration in the Balkans, particularly in relation to Belgrade and Pristina.