Becirovic: The EU no longer has the potential; the key role for the US is to revive the dialogue

Director of the International Institute for the Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES), Zijad Becirovic, has assessed that regarding the new pressures and potential measures for Belgrade and Pristina, it was crucial for the international community to take steps to fulfill the obligations of the Kosovo authorities, which included the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, new elections in the north, and the withdrawal of special units.

Becirovic tells Kosovo Online that ten years ago, Serbia did not have much say when it came to Kosovo.

"Now, Serbia has become a subject of events, in the last 10 years, mostly thanks to President Aleksandar Vucic. He managed to impose the paradigm that they cannot get everything, and we get nothing. So, there must be a win-win situation for both sides. So, it is simply expected that what the international community promised, what it took upon itself as an obligation, should be fulfilled, and those are three points: the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, holding new elections in the four municipalities with a Serb majority, and the withdrawal of the ROSU special units," Becirovic says.

He also emphasizes that we are once again in a situation where, without KFOR's approval, special units of the Kosovo Police are entering the north and conducting various arrests.

"And this is a clear sign that the international community must start fulfilling its obligations. The EU has imposed silent sanctions on Kosovo, and the Kosovo Prime Minister himself has admitted that it has already caused 500 million euros in damage. So the EU can act in such a way. But this is still a political dialogue, and it is important that there is political will to resolve it, to achieve normalization," Becirovic says.

He believes that negotiations conducted under the auspices of the EU cannot lead to normalization.

He adds that the US role is key, which he says has "complete patronage" over the Government in Pristina.

"The EU can act economically through measures. However, the US has a key role, meaning they have complete patronage over the Government in Pristina. So it is simply in the hands of the Americans to thaw this conflict and revive the dialogue. But I'm afraid the EU no longer has the capacity, and potential, to provide any additional value to that dialogue. Everything that has been done, we see the result. Instead of normalization, there's the abnormalization of relations. I think after such a result, the EU no longer has a place here. In fact, the dialogue itself has been rendered meaningless. New forms and models must be found on how to reach an agreement where one side does not lose everything and the other gains everything. Instead, a win-win solution must be found, and a comprehensive binding agreement on normalization must be signed," Becirovic concludes.