Demhasaj: Key for the dialogue is not who is in charge of the EU foreign policy, but a change in Brussels' approach

Political analyst Arton Demhasaj believes that Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kalas, who will be the new High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and whose responsibilities will include the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, is sufficiently familiar with this process, however, he says that the progress of the dialogue does not depend on who leads the EU's foreign policy but rather on a change in Brussels' approach to the parties involved.

"The intermediaries in the dialogue have always informed the EU member states about this process, so Kalas is familiar with it, and I do not believe there will be difficulties in terms of understanding the issues between Kosovo and Serbia. However, it is not important who will lead the EU's foreign policy; the issue is that the EU should not only have the role of a facilitator but also a mediator. It should set deadlines for the parties, Kosovo and Serbia, within which they must respect and implement the agreement's points, and if the parties fail to implement parts of the agreement, then the EU must take measures, namely sanctions against those who do not comply," Demhasaj told Kosovo Online.

He points out that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia has been unsuccessful for 12 years because the agreements reached are not being implemented, and if the EU continues to play only the role of a facilitator, the situation will remain the same.

"That is why I believe it is the right moment for the EU to change its approach to the parties and define the obligations that the parties must fulfill, in other words, to simply play the role of a policeman toward the countries that refuse to implement parts of the agreements previously agreed upon," Demhasaj stated.