Baraliu: Continuation of the EU's old foreign policy and old demands is a waste of time for both Kosovo and Serbia

University professor Mazllum Baraliu stated in an interview for Kosovo Online that Kosovo’s authorities and institutions must analyze the messages and recommendations delivered by Peter Sorensen, the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, during his visit to Pristina. Regardless of those messages, Baraliu argued that EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, should engage to reform the dialogue process.

"We need to start from scratch. It should be assessed whether the last agreement from Brussels, the so-called Franco-German proposal, and even the American proposal, can be reactivated, or if we need to begin with a new draft agreement that will have a definitive, final nature in terms of mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia, and resolving this issue that burdens both Kosovo and, most importantly, Serbia, as it is the only unresolved issue between the former Yugoslav republics and provinces that remains for Serbia," Baraliu noted.

According to his assessment, the European Union in its previous composition was unsuccessful regarding the foreign policy of Josep Borrell, particularly in the context of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and 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 both Pristina and Belgrade was not implemented by either side. Therefore, this previous policy was short-lived, lacking vision and concrete results. It is evident that the EU’s foreign policy continues. The EU is in a deep crisis, and for this reason, it has not changed its foreign policy. The continuation of this policy means failure and a waste of time for both Kosovo and Serbia, for the people here, and for 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 stated.